Who loves the sun? Currently, a photobooth truck is parked on the Columbus Avenue side of the American Museum of Natural History. Portraits on Climate and Health: Dreams We Carry welcomes visitors to share their dreams of a healthy future in a time of global climate change, while having their picture taken.
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Select images will be displayed in the museum’s Ellen V. Futter Gallery, and a rotating mosaic of portraits will be projected on the central wall of the Griffin Exploration Atrium in the Museum’s Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation, opening on September 23 for Climate Week.
The back wall where the portraits will be projected
Some of the portaits being put up in the Ellen V. Futter Gallery
“The installation is Portraits on Climate Change and Health: Dreams We Carry. And we dissect it a little bit as folks come out, asking what they are hopeful for in terms of a more sustainable, healthier future,” said Jacqueline Handy, director of public programs at the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH).
Along with having their portrait taken, participants are asked, “As climate change reshapes our lives, what stories of transformation and dreams of a healthier future do you carry with you?” Their answers are recorded for an online gallery which will pair their portraits with their testimonials.
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The installation is part of the Inside Out Project, a global art platform created by French artist JR, which “helps communities around the world stand up for what they believe in and spark global change by taking local action,” wrote the AMNH in a press release. The gallery of photography and testimonials will be available on the Inside Out Project’s website starting Monday, September 23, in conjunction with Climate Week.
When ILTUWS visited the installation on September 10, there was a line of eager attendees waiting to have their portraits taken. There’s a QR code available on-site if you’d like to record your answer on climate change before getting in the booth.
“I’m not sure,” said Francesca Dimiceli, a photography student at NYU, when asked what she planned to do with her portrait. “I’m deciding on that now because they (AMNH) said that you could either take the large photo home, or, if you wanted to leave it with the museum, you could see if it would go up in the physical exhibit.” Dimiceli called it a “cool gamble” to see if her portrait would make it into the Ellen V. Futter Gallery. She was also familiar with JR’s work, having seen his documentary Faces Places at a film festival in Philadelphia several years ago.
Francesca Dimiceli
We asked Dimiceli how she planned to respond to the climate change question. “I live in Union Square so I’m constantly reminded of irreversible climate change by that big clock (the Climate Clock) that I see literally every day.” She noted that the deadline on the clock shows less than five years to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. “Then we’re all screwed, but I also believe that we’re probably all a little screwed anyway because we’ve done so much damage to the environment in general. But I do find it very endearing that so many people care and are really trying to put forward efforts to help the environment and the climate.”
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“The most popular response I’ve heard is, ‘I want this planet to be stable for my children,’” said Jacqueline Handy. “That’s the number one. Climate change is real—that’s the number two.” Handy added that, on a personal level, directing funds toward the right initiatives is her rally call to the world. “I think if we are funding climate change initiatives and finding the right solutions across the board, then we’ll be in a better place, but right now, we’re fighting to make sure that happens.”
The AMNH has several activations planned for September in honor of Climate Week. On September 23, there will be a screening of The Wayfinders Film Series: Indigenous Wisdom Leading in the Climate Crisis. The films highlight Indigenous voices from around the world and their approaches to tackling climate change. On the 25th, AMNH President Sean Decatur will moderate a panel featuring a diverse group of scientists, policymakers, activists, and artists. The discussion will focus on their visions for addressing climate change and the solutions they are exploring.
“Our focus on climate change isn’t limited to this month, which is very exciting,” said Handy; the museum has more programming planned for 2024 and beyond related to climate change. “This isn’t a one-and-done. It’s a really central topic for us as we move forward in educating the public and listening to the public.”
The photobooth truck will be open today, September 11, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Thank you so much for this. I saw the truck (and the enormous line) in my travels yesterday, and was wondering what was going on.