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.