On the occasion of the German presidency of the Council of the EU, a new artistic project is giving children a way to express their views on environmental issues and make themselves heard by the powers that be. In the second of two articles, Times of Malta talks once again with the man behind Earth Speakr, UN Goodwill Ambassador and world-renowned artist, Olafur Eliasson, about the environmental cause, his hopes for Earth Speakr and his thoughts on the situation in Malta. 

Olafur Eliasson’s groundbreaking installations have graced some of the world’s most famous museums and galleries and most visited public spaces. He is known for inviting his audiences to ‘co-create’ his work, which asks questions about the relationship between human beings and the natural world.

For his latest project, Earth Speakr, Eliasson has designed an app that gives children a blank canvas to create and voice animated characters, to deliver important messages to adults about the environment.

By giving future generations a blank canvas, Eliasson is handing control of the Earth Speakr project to young artists, in this digital initiative without borders.

Eliasson first spoke to the Times of Malta for last Sunday’s article Passing on the Paintbrush (article and video available on the Times of Malta website).

Following on from this earlier conversation, Eliasson now answers some deeper questions about the environmental crisis and engaging young people to help find solutions.

The majority of us today live in built-up areas. Your work brings natural elements, like sunlight, water and wind, into urban spaces, reminding people of the beauty of nature. Your indoor sun at the Tate Modern, and your man-made waterfalls in New York and Versailles come to mind. Do you think that reconnecting people with nature is the key to galvanising us into action?

For some, it may be about reconnecting; for me, it’s about highlighting that we’re always in a relationship with nature and with our surroundings generally. And in recent years I’ve been inspired by various thinkers, from biologist Lynn Margulis and philosopher Bruno Latour to biologist, feminist, and theorist Donna Haraway and philosopher Timothy Morton.

They’ve all realised in each their own way that humankind has become, well, conceited; the hierarchies that we’ve put in place over centuries with ourselves at the very top, above nature, above animals and other living organisms, must be questioned, reconsidered, altered.

So, aiming for a deep connection with nature is a great first step and yet, it takes more. We must rethink how we inhabit Earth alongside other species. We must learn to show a degree of caring for more than human animals.

I’m speaking to you today from Malta, a very small, very densely-populated island where construction is the biggest contributor to the economy. Noise pollution from building sites is almost intolerable, trees are being cut down at the rate of knots and people are actually quite upset about this here. I know that for a long time you’ve been an advocate for sustainable urban planning, something that Malta is clearly lacking at the moment. Do you have any advice for the government here on how to balance economic interests with the well-being of the people?

Well, I think I should be careful to pretend that I’m more than a layman. But I could re­commend a few things, still. Put an ar­tist on every board of every com­pany, put an artist in every political meeting room, put a child in every government advisory board, put a young person in every evaluation board about the impact of what they’re doing. Integrate a just choice of people.

Justice, think about this, justice is what is going to guide good governance, and don’t forget, justice is an institutiona­lised form of love, right? It’s very interesting. Justice is about us, and it’s about what do we share publicly? This is Mary Robinson, to just quote the right person who said it.

This is justice. And it is a kind of exciting idea of parliamentarism, which is democracy, which we believe in. So there are lots of things one can do to live our values. If you say you believe in the fundamental human rights as stipulated by the UN, it means you are in a situation where you have to execute justice.

And this is not easy, and as we know Malta is a divided country, and for the size of Malta, there's a lot of press about Malta. It’s an obscure combination of mixing public and private, which sort of indicates poor governance. This is very destabilising for a demo­crati­cally elected government.

This is very complex when governance is sort of... where are the policies? Where are the values? When are we just? And that is why I say, well, ask the children, because they have no biases. This is simplifying it a bit. If a culture sector is healthy, and it has public money support, it is often introducing a degree of justice. Not always, by all means.

Earth Speakr uses animation and augmented reality to create talking characters from children’s faces and voices.

As UN Goodwill Ambassador, it’s obviously important to pre­sent a message of hope and posi­tivity, but what is your honest assessment of the environmental situation we find ourselves in, and is it ever a challenge to maintain your optimism?

We should be clear that we’re living in a climate crisis and it’s an absolutely urgent matter. But growing numb or giving up is not the answer. To create change we need hope. And we need to trust that each step to change things for the better matters, however small or large.

Behavioural scientists have shown that we can only take in so-and-so much worry. We have a so-called ‘finite pool of worry’. And I really believe that working together to meet the Paris Agreement is a viable alternative to being in a permanent state of fear and worry.

When it comes to the environment, there is still so much disagreement and debate. The US president even famously referred to climate change as a hoax. In an atmosphere of climate-change denial, finding a solution can seem like an impossible task. What do you hope to achieve by giving children a voice on the matter?

Kids have ideas, they have voices, and they do speak up – the rise of the Fridays for Future movement has been incredibly inspiring to follow.

Earth Speakr invites kids in and offers a space of listening. It is by kids and with kids, but it is also for adults. I hope that the artwork will help kids feel seen by adults, feel met by them – at eye-level – and feel heard.

Earth Speakr has been described as a collaboration bet­ween yourself and Europe’s youngest citizens. I know that you are very interested in the concept of authorship and that you see your audience as co-creators of your work. At the point of writing, Earth Speakr has only been live for two days, so it’s perhaps a little early to gauge the reaction, but how do you hope children will respond to the chance to become artists and to being trusted to co-create this project?

I think many kids will get it. They may think: “Sure, I can be an artist. I know how to do art.” To others, the art part will matter less, maybe not at all. But perhaps they really like cool technology and apps that are about being innovative and smart. So you can approach Earth Speakr from very different perspectives and for different reasons.

My studio team has been working with experts to help design a platform that meets kids where they are without attempting to school them in any way, and I hope this openness comes across to them. We truly want to hear what they have to say. It’s not about fulfilling an assignment, and I think kids will recognise this falls outside of their studies, even if it might make them think about topics brought up in the classroom.

Earth Speakr messages in Malta.

Presumably the ultimate aim of Earth Speakr is to change things for the better. You often refer to the fact that you work in the field of ‘non-quantifiable success’. I realise it’s a tough question, but how will you gauge the success of this project?

There are different answers to that question, of course. Before leaving numbers behind, you could, of course, look at how many kids end up taking part and shaping the artwork. But then you might ask: What Bakhtinian heteroglossia – multiplicity of voices – will result? How will a myriad of perspectives from various parts of Europe and beyond coexist?

Coexistence can be a success. The hosting of that coexistence on the Earth Speakr platform can be more or less successful.

Then there’s the action taken by decision-makers on behalf of the climate that is inspired by the ideas that kids offer.

Probably not within the official duration of the project – it runs until the end of the year – but maybe next year, or the year after.

There are other potential successes, some of which we will never know. Maybe the artwork will make a difference to how kids and adults interact in a mid-sized city in Romania because Earth Speakr opened up alternative dialogues.

Maybe two people will sit in an old people’s home in 2100 and reminisce: “The 2020s ‒ those were the days! At the time, adults were actually listening to what I had to say, what my best friends from school had to say. I am proud that we got the climate more or less on track. Had the adults been deaf when we spoke up, so much could have gone awry.”

Children in Malta are taking a proactive role in environmental matters; in fact, a group of 11-year-olds met MEPs last year to complain about over-deve­lopment. How can Earthspeakr help children to be heard by those with the power to create real change and what would you say to encourage young people to use it?

The artwork is yours! Use it. Get what matters to you to grown-ups. Believe in your voice, your creativity. Your contribution matters; together with others, you can make a real difference.

Earth Speakr is a brilliant way to show kids the power of art. It’s original, meaningful and creative. I wish you every success and I’m sure it will be a massive hit.

Thank you so much. And let’s not forget it is not all news from Malta that is bad news. I mean, it is an amazing country as well. Divided or not, it is quite remarkable. So I say everything with compassion as usual.

An edited video of the conversation between Olafur Eliasson and Laura Swale is available on the Times of Malta website as part of the first article of this two-part piece: ‘Passing on the Paintbrush’. In this video interview, Eliasson talks about a range of subjects including values, governance and the UN.

The Earth Speakr app can be downloaded from Google Play or the App Store, visit the website at www.earthspeakr.art or join the dis­cus­sion@earthspeakr on social media. Find out more about Olafur Eliasson at www.olafureliasson.net. Earth Speakr is realised in cooperation with the Goethe Institut, represented locally by the German-Maltese Circle which is working in collaboration with the German Embassy in Malta. For more information, e-mail gmc@germanmaltesecircle.org.