Aus Stellung – Eine Reise

By Pauline Metz
Supervisor: Dr. Gesa Lüdecke

Artwork 12: Erbstück

While studying in the ESCP at RCC, I explored environmental injustice, our perception of environmental crises, and the role of communication. The topics also led me to philosophical inquiry into the concept of "evil." Deeper exploration of these issues increasingly reinforced an emotional, ethical, and scientific conflict. In this conflict, I came across the topic of "Climate Depression" in which I found my own scientific search for solutions reflected.

Climate depression is depression that arises from experiencing feelings such as sadness and emotional pain that arise from experiencing environmental degradation, environmental problems, and issues related to these issues, such as environmental injustice. Climate Depression is triggered by a variety of emotions that arise from experiencing environmental problems, such as eco-grief or eco-anxiety. These emotions and climate depression affect more and more people as we move deeper into the Anthropocene.

Artwork 7: Anzeigen

Yet it is precisely these emotions that can lead people into climate depression, which can also free them from the passive state of climate depression if these emotions are used as a conscious emotional tool.

News about climate change, for example, can often hardly be processed mentally, since the numbers and factual connections it contains are too large to grasp. We can, however, feel these messages. These emotions (like eco-grief) are an important tool. Because eco-grief is not something to be fixed, but a healthy and necessary process that we need to complete in order to heal and become active. Because grief is a sign of deep attachment and connection. We can only grief of something that we love. So to suppress eco-grief would also mean to suppress our love for the environment.

Eco-grief can be a strength because it keeps us in contact with reality and our environment. It addresses the climate crisis at the most basic human level. A lot of denial comes from unresolved grief.

In a privileged society that aspires happiness as the highest good, it is ignored that optimism alone does not bring about change and that painful emotions can also bring about change. The people who started environmental movements often spoke openly about their fears. These feelings can resonate internationally. So one way out of the climate depression and its numbness can be to consciously confront the emotions that led us into it.

This is exactly what my art exhibition "Aus Stellung – Eine Reise" tries to do.

Since I, as an art philosopher, understand art in such a way that it enables a free interplay of intellect, imagination and emotional world, I saw in the format of an art exhibition the perfect instrument not only to convey the level of intellect, the factual dimension of "Climate Depression" in this Final Project, but rather to convey through art also the emotional world in relation to certain topics.

Artwork 3: Fast Fashion

The exhibition wants to break away from the passivity of the depression and cause feelings like panic, not to become numb, but to be able to think and act. To not get used to the seemingly mundane. Thus, my exhibition is intended to enable a more diverse, not merely one-sided reflection on the aforementioned topics, and to stimulate thought and discussion itself. Therefore, my exhibition wants to address everyone and bring together very different people, enable community through exchange.

Artwork 9: Ohne Titel, Materials: Old radiator and Photochrome ink

This is also done through interactive works such as the artwork "Touch - Skin". This work poses the question of how we encounter other people and our environment in our society. Is the greatest active point of contact with strangers consumption? Doesn't consumption play a major role in determining our relationships and our perception of the world? How economic has our relationship to other people become, where do we touch each other, our environment still completely without economic influences?

Artwork 4: Touch - Skin

The work is continuously growing. Visitors can take a receipt and add their own receipt on which they write their own version of "Touch - Skin". In this way, the work connects people and tells ever new and different stories, experiences and perceptions of the world. Fear often comes from feeling isolated and when people feel alone, they are not empowered to act. Sharing with others allows you to feel more. Talk helps against climate depression, because talk is action and taking such action is healing.

The exhibition follows the possible course of climate depression. It starts with everyday experiences that can trigger climate depression but are reflected in the exhibition, leads to accusations and major environmental problems caused by humans, and finally lands in despair when it looks at the time when climate change could still have been stopped. Reaching the low point (the work: Erbstück), the exhibition then tries to gather hope, through a change of perspective with a focus on the importance of diversity.