As a complex and multifaceted art form, contemporary art draws on diverse media to explore and critique current social, cultural, and political issues. Among the emerging themes reflected in contemporary artworks, climate change has become increasingly prominent.
This is evident in Vancouver Art Gallery’s new exhibition Future Geographies: Art in the Century of Climate Change, which is set to unveil the visual, and often misconceived, reality of climate change across the globe.
In contrast to previous art exhibitions, Future Geographies presents itself as “the first major exhibition in Canada to examine the intersection of the climate crisis and contemporary art on a global scale.”
Drawing upon various art mediums, this upcoming exhibition invites observers to witness the effects of global warming through a creative, sensorial lens. As the Vancouver Art Gallery asserts, “featuring works from the past 25 years, this exhibition underscores the urgency and relevance of sustainability and the environment as defining issues of our time. More than 35 works across a range of media—from large-scale video installations to living sculptures—invite viewers to confront pressing questions about our shared future on this planet.”
According to Mina Kerr-Lazenby from CTV News, this exhibition also “invites audiences to consider innovative solutions, encouraging action rather than despair.”
Eva Respini, Deputy Director and Director of Curatorial Programs at Vancouver Art Gallery, is committed to integrating action narratives into existing descriptions of climate change.
Recognized for her innovative curations, Respini’s current effort “steps away from the didactic approach [because] something ‘more poetic’ was needed.” Respini further highlights, “there is no room for wallowing here … I’d been seeing work over the past two decades from artists who have responded in some way to the climate crisis, ideas around ecology and sustainability, and it got me thinking deeply about how I could make a show about this big topic that is not a doom and gloom show.”
According to Respini, “artists make us think differently. By looking at this topic, something so big and unwieldy, through the lens of art gives us a sense of distance from it that allows us to enter it through something else, through imagination.”
Regarding its contributors, the exhibition features a powerful roster of internationally recognized artists, including:
- Jeffrey Gibson
- Teresita Fernández
- Josh Kline
- Cannupa Hanska Luger
- Jean Shin
- Clarissa Tossin
- Brian Jungen
- Gabrielle L’Hirondelle Hill
- Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun Lets’lo:tseltun
Although climate change can feel distant or abstract, this exhibition inspires us to see it differently, not only as a crisis but as a call to visualize, imagine, and act. Opening on May 14, 2026, to January 10, 2027, Future Geographies encourages all visitors to immerse themselves in the artwork, intending to “invite dialogue and create space for imagining.”
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Christina is a Copywriter from Canada with a Master of Arts in Sociology from Queen’s University. As a social science graduate, Christina is immensely passionate about society and culture, consumer behaviour trends, environmental sustainability, and human rights advocacy. With 7+ years of proficiency in written communication, qualitative research, and critical thinking skills, Christina strives to make a meaningful difference through crafting compelling narratives and impactful content.