By Megan O’Brien, ’25, Environmental Studies Major and Studio Art Minor
The colors of COP29 have swept the city of Baku, Azerbaijan. We exited the airport at 2:00 am and one of the first things I noticed were the words on the side of the buses declaring “In Solidarity for a Green World.” From signs and posters to buses and stickers, the colors of COP were everywhere. The first image above shows a “brain” sculpture framed by the main color of COP29, commentating on the role our brains play in the decisions we make from an individual to an international level. This sculpture was outside the Green Zone and on the way to the buses, so we walked by it every day. I have been trying to find a way to best describe the colors selected for this year’s COP. After much thought, I have decided the two colors are both varieties of “sea breeze,” one a light almost green shade and the other a dark, nearly teal, color.
The color theory around green is quite extensive. As part of my work designing the Environmental Science logo last year, I landed on a similar shade of green, for ironically similar reasons to what I assume went into this year’s COP color choice. Green is associated with nature, finance, health, security, and re-birth. The presence of this color all around COP signalled all these things to each observer. This was, after all, the finance COP. On such an international stage, I can clearly see the through lines to each of the things mentioned above. The environment is at the heart of COP, and health, security, and new beginnings are places of common ground across countries. The subtle messages being sent here were clear to me and I would be interested to know what feelings come up for other people when they see the colors of COP.
Art could be found all throughout the venue, from the outside to the Blue Zone, and to the Green Zone, art has its place. I have developed quite a collection of photographs that I have been trying to group, but as is so often the case with art some just defies a binary distinction. I’d like to share some pieces that I have found the most impactful.
On the very first day we spotted a sculpture in front of the main entrance to the Blue Zone. This piece was an egg cracked on both sides with two fingers nearly touching on the inside. People all around pointed in a similar nature to the fingers, making the piece interactive. Though no plaque was present, there was a QR-code to explain the art. The piece seems to be a commentary on human connection, or lack thereof. The egg generally represents rebirth and as mentioned above, rebirth is a theme already on the minds at COP. I looked at this piece and thought about re-birth surrounding a disconnection, perhaps a great COP metaphor.
The next category of art I found to be impactful was in the pavilions. Many countries chose art as a way to engage observers, but also make statements about their goals at COP. Ukraine’s pavilion was covered, wall-to-wall, with leaf-based paper adorned with sketches and phrases like “Ukraine’s Peace Formula” and “When unity is maximized solidarity is more effective.” Part of Turkey’s pavilion was a mural made of small plastic pieces displaying the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). They also had an artist on site doing beautiful prints on paper both interactively and as a tutorial. This was not the only example of art being done at COP.
Though most art seen at COP was displayed conventionally, there were a few instances of artists making art on the ground. One was in the Green Zone where a woman and child sat on a platform as part of “presentation scene” in the Art Pavilion. They worked on weaving baskets that were being sold at the pavilion; fitting for the more capitalist tone present throughout the Green Zone. Also in the Green Zone, there was a chance for anyone to participate in an SDG mural. This pavilion included instructions to select a colorful piece of wood and place it on a peg to create a colorful and interconnected display. It was interesting to see which colors showed up the most, like green.
The usage of artistic expression was present beyond the COP site itself. One such piece was only a 5-minute walk from our hotel. At first glance this piece appears to be a “rancid whale” as stated by CNN. In reality, this piece of art is activism-based and is designed to challenge the viewer to the point of discomfort. The purpose of this piece, displayed by the Captain Boomer collective, is to raise awareness of “ecological destruction” and to make “people feel that their bond with nature is disturbed” stated Bart Van Peel, a member of Captain Boomer based in Belgium (CNN). I believe this piece demonstrates the range of art that was present at COP29. Not all art is conventionally beautiful, though most is designed to make you think and feel. Climate art is no exception.
I would like to close out this blog with some final thoughts regarding the power and role of art in the COP environment. Each piece of art I saw at COP was intended to make you think—to make you reflect. Beyond this, some art seemed to be a way of coping both for the artist and for the viewer. Each person’s experiences are different and yet the image of a beached dead whale lying in front of the host city of COP29 creates consistent reactions of horror and sadness. The climate crisis is so emotional for so many, and I predict I, myself, will need to use art to understand and conceptualize everything I saw and heard in Baku.
