WHAT \ U.N. Safe Planet Campaign \ Art Exhibitions & Public Outreach

Art Exhibitions & Public Outreach

Deadly chemicals in our bodies, our food, and our landscape are difficult images to illustrate.  It is traditionally the work of the artist to bring to reality, that which is unreal. We work in the realm of the unconscious, the invisible, the other.  Our plan for the SAFE PLANET Arts and Culture Initiatives are to commission creative practitioners to develop new work in response to the individual and collective programmes of the Basel, Stockholm and Rotterdam Conventions.

Over the next few years, Safe Planet exhibitions and outreach programmes will be co-ordinated with key UN and civil society events around the world, providing unique opportunities to showcase the work of established and emerging local and international artists.  Through the arts, we will challenge our perceptions of hazardous chemicals and wastes and stimulate new thinking about how each of us must take responsibility the safety of the environment and human health.

Safe Planet Campaign was developed by the Secretariats of the three global chemical and wastes conventions in response to a request by their respective Conferences of the Parties to develop a common approach to awareness-raising and outreach activities among the three Conventions. Key to conceptualizing this campaign was the involvement of a limited number of inspired and committed individuals that have been most gracious in dedicating their time and creative minds to this task.

Art Dialogue is honored to be a Friend of Safe Planet, collaborating to guide arts & outreach.  We have been working closely with UN on setting up scholarships to encourage young people working with environmental issues.  Recently the Stockholm Convention establshed a Safe Planet Scholarship for the Universidad Technològico de Cancún and is currently developing art contests for students in the state of Hawai'i  around marine pollution issues.