Edinburgh Science Festival’s major outdoor photography exhibition Cherish: Shaping our Planet opened yesterday, a week ahead of the Festival taking over the Scottish capital
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2022 saw the United Nations announce that our global population has now reached a staggering 8 billion people and continues to rise. And our desire to consume – energy, food, water, minerals – grows too.
Alongside this story is another tale: of innovation, of revolution and of a growing global awareness of the critical need for action to protect these environments.
Edinburgh Science Festival’s annual free, large-scale outdoor photography exhibit opens today on Portobello Promenade. Cherish: Shaping our Planet (on until 4 May) contains a global message of hope and a call to action: here is our planet. Cherish it.
It considers how we can cherish its wonders, strive for change and tread more lightly. Featuring the work of eight photographers, Cherish: Shaping our Planet uses stunning aerial photography to take audiences on a journey across the world, capturing a birds-eye view of our impact on the landscapes that support all life on Earth.
The artists featured are: Kieran Dodds and Kate Stevenson of Scottish Sisters Photography depict the rugged landscapes of Scotland while Daniel Beltrá captures one of the world’s worst environmental disasters, the oil spill from BP Deepwater Horizon which extended over 149,000 square kilometers across the Gulf of Mexico.
George Steinmetz showcases human agricultural processes in action ranging from grape harvesting in Lanzerote to Kopper Cress Greenhouses which grow microgreens in the Westlands area of the Netherlands.
Dr Jennifer Davis of the British Ecological Society and Leah Kennedy capture the ancient landscapes of Western Australia which is home to some of the oldest geological features in the world.
Jassen Todorov takes audiences to the USA, depicting the desert landscapes of Utah and Nevada. Sharyn Coffee shines the light on the utopian architecture of Super Tree Grove nature park in Singapore, an innovative example of ‘urban greening’ which seeks bring some nature back into urbanised spaces.
The opening of the exhibition also marks a week until Edinburgh Science Festival 2023 (1-16 April) takes over the city.
Known for producing world-class live events, this year’s Festival invites everyone to get hands-on with science and embrace the concepts of experimentation, innovation, creativity, curiosity and invention that lie at the heart of its 2023 theme – Let’s Experiment!
Amanda Tyndall, Festival and Creative Director at Edinburgh Science Festival said: “Our large-scale, outdoor photo exhibitions have become something of a tradition, showcasing images that are both visually arresting and thought-provoking.
“Cherish provides a birds-eye view of our impact on the landscapes that support all life on Earth, taking audiences on an incredible journey exploring how human activity is shaping our planet.”