CLIMATE POWER UNVEILS CLIMATE APOCALYPSE DIORAMA INSTALLATION DEPICTING FAR-RIGHT & BIG OIL’S CORRUPTION AT REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION
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Milwaukee, WI – Today, just blocks away from the 2024 Republican National Convention, Climate Power unveiled a striking art installation illustrating the devastating consequences of Big Oil’s corruption and the widespread impacts of extreme weather events on ordinary individuals. Six storefront windows have been transformed into immersive scenes, brought to life by performers, to underscore the urgent threat posed by far-right extremists and their ties to the fossil fuel industry.
“Big Oil and their corrupt political allies have sold out our environment and threaten the future of our planet, economy, and health,” said Climate Power Senior Advisor Alex Witt. “By putting Big Oil’s corruption on full display, we’re confronting Republicans with scenes inspired by real-life damage caused by their disastrous policies and reminding voters about the catastrophic consequences for our environment and economy if we don’t keep far-right extremists out of office.”
“Among the greatest powers and functions of art are its ability to evoke emotions, provoke thought, and confront people with truths they’d rather not hear,” Annie Saunders, the installation artist, emphasized. “Our apocalyptic dioramas are rooted in real stories from real survivors, to call out Big Oil and far-right extremists for their role in exacerbating the climate crisis. This critical work is a clarion call to remind everyone how these extremists and their connections to Big Oil threaten our future.”
Credit: Tom Krawczyk for Climate Power
Credit: Tom Krawczyk for Climate Power
The six storefront windows portray extreme weather in scenarios, each showcasing the devastating impact on everyday lives caused by climate crises, and were inspired by real-life events and informed by survivors of extreme weather. Scenes include:
- Extreme Heat & Air Pollution: Plastic chairs melting, toys disintegrating, and walls bubbling under a haze of orange light symbolizing thick air pollution.
- Vanishing Act ‘Head in the Sand’: Office setting buried under sand with glitched news playing, highlighting ignorance and denial.
- Extreme Rain & Flooding: Furniture overturned, broken glass, and water-damaged walls amidst a chaotic scene of stormy weather.
“As a survivor of extreme heat, I’ve witnessed firsthand the cruel reality of the climate crisis,” remarked Deborah Parker, a member of the Extreme Weather Survivors and a longtime resident of Tucson, Arizona who now lives through weeks of dangerous heat advisories. “These extreme weather events are growing more powerful, more dangerous, and more deadly by the day, while the oil and gas industry gains record profits. They’ve created this mess and are leaving people like me, and my granddaughter to pick up the pieces.”