The Bureau of Linguistic Reality

A public participatory artwork by activist Heidi Quante and artist Alicia Escott, this project will focus on creating new language as an innovative way to better understand our rapidly changing world due to manmade climate change and other Anthropocenic events. The vision of the artwork is to provide new words to express what people are feeling and experiencing as our world changes as climate change accelerates. We will be using these new words to facilitate conversations about the greater experiences these words are seeking to express with the view to facilitate a greater cultural shift around climate change. Heidi, Alicia and artist/activist Isobel Tarr and a participating linguist will convene for three weeks surrounding the 21st Conference of the Parties in Paris where they will create a “cultural intervention initiative” called The Bureau of Linguistic Reality, aimed at developing new language to express the losses that result from climate change. They will also facilitate much-needed 'Pauses' or Salons for COP attendees, providing the opportunity to introduce and hone creative tactics for shifting cultures, which they can then take back to their respective countries.