“A View From The Cloud” presents art and conversations with innovators in the arts, sciences, AI, global economics, education, UN leadership, at the UN Church Center, Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, and internationally
“A View From The Cloud” is an international program of art exhibitions and conversations inspired by astronauts’ stories about their transformative experiences of witnessing from space the unbounded interconnectedness of everything on earth. From this perspective, the program examines how art and technology sharpen how we see the world and create solutions to help achieve humanitarian objectives and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
The program brings together artists, neuroscientists, astronauts, AI, global finance and environmental experts, educators, UN leadership and the public, in the spirit of visionaries such as Buckminster Fuller and Dag Hammarskjold. Programs have taken place in New York at Dag Hammarskjold Plaza – “the Gateway to the United Nations”, and the United Nations Church Center, and at locations in Helsinki, Kvinesdal, and Miami.
“A View From The Cloud” benefits from the unique vantage points of co-producers, Streaming Museum, a producer and presenter of arts programming internationally since 2008, and World Council of Peoples for the United Nations, an organization founded in the aftermath of World War II to support the aims of the United Nations and generations of global thinkers.
[Image above: “Emotion Winds” 2014, real-time data artwork by Maurice Benayoun. The internet is the nervous system of the world]
THE OPENING
Dag Hammarskjold Plaza,”the Gateway to the United Nations”
Hundreds of people gathered at Dag Hammarskjold Plaza – “the Gateway to the United Nations” on September 14, 2015 for the opening of “A View From The Cloud”. Special Guest speakers were United Nations Assistant Secretary General on Climate Change, Janos Pasztor, Astronaut Ron Garan, Planetary Collective Director Guy Reid and Cinematographer Christoph Ferstad who also presented a screening of their film “Planetary”. Artwork by international artists was exhibited. Artists who attended: Maxi Cohen, Michael Najjar, Aparna Rao, Edwina Sandys, John F. Simon, Jr., Marty St. James, Ragin Wenk-Wolff, and Marina Zurkow. “Counting One to Four: Nature Morte” by Debbie Symons, traveled to COP21 Paris and Federation Square Melbourne.
OPENING at Dag Hammarksjold Plaza, September 14, 2015
Artists exhibited and present: Maxi Cohen, Christoph Ferstad, Michael Najjar, Aparna Rao, Edwina Sandys, John F. Simon, Jr., Marty St. James, Ragin Wenk-Wolff, and Marina Zurkow. “Counting One to Four: Nature Morte” by Debbie Symons, traveled to COP21 Paris and Federation Square Melbourne
United Nations Assistant Secretary General on Climate Change, Janos Pasztor: “Building support for the new Global Goals and for a climate agreement are essential, and it is extremely gratifying to see such support from the arts to educate and energize people’s understanding of what is at stake.”
Astronaut Ron Garan: “The answer to why we face so many critical problems and challenges in spite of our ample technology and resources lies in our inability to effectively collaborate on a global scale.”
ART AND CONVERSATION
A VIEW FROM THE CLOUD Interactive Salon of Art and Conversation took place on 17 May 2017 at the United Nations Church Center, 777 UN Plaza. .
INTRODUCTION
The salon and artworks were introduced by Nina Colosi, Founder of Streaming Museum and co-producer of A View From The Cloud. The 3-hour program of four conversations that took place within a setting of art was moderated by co-producer Shamina de Gonzaga, Executive Director of World Council of Peoples for the United Nations.
The program began with a single screen version of “Exit”, 2008 -2015. The work is composed of a series of immersive animated maps generated by data that investigate human migrations today and their leading causes, including the impacts of climate change. Created by Diller Scofidio + Renfro with Laura Kurgan; Mark Hansen & Ben Rubin in collaboration with Robert Gerard Pietrusko, Stewart Smith. Commissioned by the Cartier Foundation for contemporary art, Paris. Based on an idea of French philosopher Paul Virilio. Details here
“Inner Telescope” by Eduardo Kac created with astronaut Thomas Pesquet aboard International Space Station on February 18, 2017. Exhibited at UN Church Center May 17. 2017. Details here
“Inverso Mundus” 2015 (World Upside Down) by AES+F, reflects on political, economic, social questions and whether we’re living in the media’s virtual world or the real world. Details here
Jan Eliasson, Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations under Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, spoke with Shamina de Gonzaga, Executive Director, World Council of Peoples for the United Nations, about how the arts and spirituality are needed for resilience to do the work that follows the mandate of the UN, he has seen such horrors in the world. At (1:27) artist Richard Mosse talks about the making of “The Enclave” in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
From “The Enclave” 2012 by Richard Mosse
CONVERSATION I From innovation to action for humanitarian and development goals
Eduardo Artigas, UN Peacekeeping Department of Field Support in charge of information, communication and technology, spoke about how technology is being used as a tool to be better informed to make better decisions and for protection in some of the most conflict driven areas, but technology is only part of the solution. He quotes Nobel Peace Prize writer about the value of the arts.
Dr. Emile Bruneau, Director of Peace and Conflict Neuroscience Lab at University of Pennsylvania speaks about his research on the roots of conflict and behavioral interventions.
Virtual Reality has been called the empathy machine when it brings viewers into the lives of people living in conflict situations. Kristin Gutekunst is Executive Producer of United Nations Virtual Reality, New Media and Immersive Content, UN SDG Action Campaign. (5:25) She introduces Max Kalis, Founder, Influx Trust presents Connect2Effect Hackathon winners UN program.
CONVERSATION 2 The future of finance and labor, and redirecting investment
Reflecting the influence of global markets on the environment. “nasdaq 80-09” from “high altitude” series of 10 works, 2008-10, stock market data visualizations rendered into the mountain ranges, hyper photography by Michael Najjar. Details here
Discussion focuses on redirecting investments and global environmental policy, women’s issues, social responsibility, the future of finance and labor. Amber Nystrom, Co-Founder, Partner, Prosparity; (3:00) Paula di Perna, global environmental policy advisor; (7:42) Vinicius Pinheiro, International Labour Organisation UN Representative. (12:21) Innovators introduced by Amber Nystrom: (14:30) Mackenzie Colgan, Regional Director, ImpactAssets; (16:28) Torian Richardson, Board President, MineED; (18:00) Holly Ruxin, CEO, Montcalm TCR.
CONVERSATION 3 Experiential learning, communication, and the next generation
Dr. Anthony Leiserowitz, Director, Yale Project on Climate Change Communication; (5:45) Sir Charles Hill, EcoTech Visions; (9:02) Raph Appadoo, CEO, Galileo; (14:14) Dr. Marcel Saucet, Professor of Communication and Innovation, University of San Diego/ESGCI.
Shahzia Sikander’s artwork evolves from her life experience and ideas of language, trade and empire, and migration. “The World is Yours, The World is Mine”, 2014, gouache and ink on hand prepared paper, 23 11/16″ x 20 9/16″. Courtesy Sean Kelly Gallery NY.
Nationhood, Place, and Identity are reflected in the work of artist, Shahzia Sikander; (3:23) Sir Charles Hill, EcoTech Visions, and innovators in the arts — (5:50) Cyndie Berthezene, Founder, TimeIn Kids art program for at risk young people, and (10:10) Matthew Willey, artist and environmental activist who has created the public art project “The Good of the Hive.”
CONVERSATION 4 Planetary perspectives and “being” in the future
Nicole Stott, Astronaut and Artist, speaks about “the overview effect”, art and her experience in space.
The value and future of AI is presented by Bruce Duncan, Managing Director, Terasem Foundation and (10:30) social robot Bina48. The conversation continues with innovators from the fields of biotech – (7:00) Dennis Herrera, (8:44) Dr. Marie Foegh; and art (13:10) with John F. Simon, Jr., pioneer artist and author of “Drawing Your Own Path: 33 Practices at the Crossroads of Art and Meditation.”
“Emotion Winds” 2014 by Maurice Benayoun
“Emotion Winds” 2014 by Maurice Benayoun – a video version of a real-time data visualization artwork of world emotions from 3200 international cities is brought together with an iconic emotional music work from 1912 – Vocalise, Op.34 No.14 by Sergei Rachmaninoff, performed by violinist Ragin Wenk-Wolff, guitarist Federico Diaz. Wenk-Wolff wears 3D printed fashion “Butterfly Microstructures: Veiled Hat and Necklace” 2015 by Kate Specter.
ART EXHIBITION
United Nations Church Center event May 17, 2017 Art and sound works program
Curator: Nina Colosi, Founder, Streaming Museum. Curatorial advisors: Nina Zaretskaya, Founder, TV Gallery Moscow; Sherry Dobbin, former Director Times Square Arts; Joel Chadabe, Founder, Ear to the Earth
FRONT PROJECTION SCREEN: EXIT, 2008-2015 – Virilio, Diller Scofidio + Renfro, Hansen, Kurgan, Rubin, Pietrusko, Smith. Collection Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain, Paris Circuconcéntricos Fluo Bleu 2, 2015 – Elias Crespin, sculptor; Jacopo Baboni-Schilingi, composer; video by Pascal Maillard Inverso Mundo, 2015 (excerpt) – AES+F. HD video installation UNity, from NYCity of the Universe series – Ralph Reutimann
Ecstasy as Sublime, Heart as Vector, and Quintuplet Effect, 2016 – Shahzia Sikander, commissioned by Princeton University. Documentary courtesy Sean Kelly Gallery NY The Enclave 2012-13 – Richard Mosse. Documentary courtesy Jack Shainman Gallery NY.
SCREEN 1 and ANDROID BINA48, android as sculpture Android Portraits, 2015-ongoing – Claire Jervert Emotion Winds, 2014 – Maurice Benayoun, video of real-time internet data of world emotions Automatic City, 2004, HFS, 2015, Hidden Village 2006, The Triumph of Democracy, 2007-2012 – Benjamin Edwards Fab Landscape, FabTreeHab, BlimpBumperBus – TerraformONE Land Art Generator Initiative – Founders, Elizabeth Monoian & Robert Ferry, solar architecture as art Superstring 11, 12, 13, 2016 – L. Mylott Manning
SCREEN 2 The Ballroom, 2016 – Federico Solmi, video installation from The Brotherhood Inner Telescope, 2017 – Eduardo Kac, performative creation of art aboard the ISS Circuconcéntricos Fluo Bleu 2, 2015 – Elias Crespin, Jacopo Baboni-Schilingi, Pascal Maillard
SCREEN 3 The Tentmakers of Islamic Cairo, 2013, photography – Massimiliano Fusari We The People, 2011-2017, video – David Bates, Jr. Street Art in Havana, 2016, photography – Alice Arnold
INSTALLATION and SCREEN 4 Bahamas, Like A Dream, Red Sea Dancer, The Wave – painting in space, Trajectory Map with photos, Hope space suit art, photography projection – astronaut / artist Nicole Stott
SOUNDSCAPES Excerpts from Desert Dawn, New Mexico and Rain Storm, Borneo – Bernie Krause; Danube Delta – Annea Lockwood; Yanayacu River Dawn – Francisco Lopez
Art salon at Streaming Museum studio May 24 – September 1, 2017
AES+F, Elias Crespin and Jacopo Baboni-Schilingi, Ronan Devlin, Michelle Jaffe, Claire Jervert, LigoranoReese, Eduardo Kac, Michael Najjar, Maurice Benayoun, Anton Perich, Shuli Sade, Federico Solmi, Kate Specter, Monika Weiss. Sound art by Bernie Krause, Annea Lockwood, Francisco Lopez
IMMERSIVE EXHIBITION AND EVENTS, NORWAY
An immersive visual and sound art exhibition, film event and education programs in Kvinesdal, Norway, November 10, 2016 through January 29, 2017
Co-curated with Torill Haugen, Director of Utsikten Kunstsenter, Kvinesdal, along with a series of public programs for general public and students. Program here.
Haugen and her team created a dramatic exhibition experience that turned a 2 story building in the southern coastal town of Kvinesdal, into a black box environment for the exhibition that featured: an exhibition version of the cinematography of Christoph Ferstad from the feature film “Planetary” – he is a co-founder of the Planetary Collective; sound art and the “Emergence” video art of Leah Barclay who also conducted River Listening underwater recording workshops for high school students; satellite imagery by Benjamin Grant creator of Daily Overview; photography by Kai-Wilhelm Nessler; and live stream from the International Space Station. Production team in Kvinesdal – Sunniva Rognmo Thakre, Per Gunnar/Philm created this film:
ART HELSINKI
ArtHelsinki, September 7-11, 2016
Keynote talk by Streaming Museum founder; exhibition featuring Claire Jervert’s “Android Portraits”, and international video art from the “A View From The Cloud” program; public programs with social robot Bina48 and Terasem Managing Director Bruce Duncan; and special installation of Mark Amerika’s “Lake Como Remix” 2012 presented with Moving Image and Niio.
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FORWARD
The producers of “A View From The Cloud”, Nina Colosi, Founder / Director of Streaming Museum, and Sherrill Kazan, President and Shamina de Gonzaga Executive Director of WCPUN, invite you to contribute to the discussion and collaborate in a range of ways.
Thank you to sponsors, Metropolitan Pacific Partners, Friends of WCPUN, ESGCI, and Boxed Water
Opening night of “A View From The Cloud”, 9/14/15, at Dag Hammarskjold Plaza – “the Gateway to the United Nations.” Sherrill Kazan, President WCPUN; Janos Pasztor, UN Assistant Secretary General on Climate Change; Nina Colosi, Founder/Creative Director, Streaming Museum; Shamina de Gonzaga, Executive Director WCPUN