Earth Crisis / Tour Eiffel
Shepard Fairey’s Globe in the heart of the Eiffel Tower
2015
From November 20th to December 11th 2015, in parallel with the World Climate Conference (COP 21) held in Paris, Shepard Fairey unveiled the “Earth Crisis” project. Suspended between the first and second floors of the Eiffel Tower, thegiant-sized sphere displays a set of symbols denouncing ecological and environmental disruption. Conceived and created by Galerie Itinerrance, the project is the result of the combined commitment of the artist, Paris City Council and the Eiffel Tower operating company to sustainable development.
Earth Crisis Abstract
Public art has the power to touch people emotionally and intellectually. The ornamental structure of the Earth Crisis sphere is a mandala of floral motifs that evoke harmony with nature. The work is composed around 8 powerful images that surround the sphere, symbolising both the nature of the threats to the environment and the incentive to respect it.
The images in this mandala on the theme of climate change and the environment are designed to raise awareness and encourage discussion about the future of our planet. The colours used are reminiscent of the blue and green of the air, water and vegetation that sustain life on earth.
Shepard Fairey (Obey)
Shepard Fairey was born in Charleston, SC and graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). While still a student, he made a name for himself with the OBEY GIANT sticker campaign, which changed the public’s perception of art and the urban landscape. Shepard Fairey has painted over 60 monumental murals around the world, including in Paris. Now a veritable “artistic institution”, Obey’s work is exhibited in a number of internationally renowned museums. Among hisbest-known works is Barack Obama’s “HOPE”, now on display at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Portrait Gallery.
www.OBEYGIANT.com
tonnes
mètres de diamètre
m2 de surface
mètres au-dessus du sol
“My political position on protecting the planet is dictated by my concern for the quality of life for future generations. I’m not an alarmist, but I think people need to understand that we’re facing a global crisis.
I think it’s interesting that the globe offers different experiences for the viewer at a distance and up close while living in the heart of the Eiffel Tower. I hope the ‘Earth Crisis’ sphere not only challenges visually, but also generates a much-needed conversation about the fate of our planet.”
The project in video
Globe symbols
Earth Crisis
My political position on protecting the planet is based on my concern for the quality of life of future generations. Those who deny climate change are not motivated by the search for truth, but by greed. In the case of politicians, they have a vested interest in aligning themselves with the objectives of the companies that support them financially. The scientific community is almost unanimous in recognising the link between carbon emissions and climate change.
Without wishing to be alarmist, I think people need to understand that we are facing a global crisis. If climate change doesn’t worry you at all, what do you need? New York and Bangladesh under water?
Endless Power
The Endless Power poster is designed to look like a vintage ad celebrating the abundance of oil and the bright future of the American dream. The argument that oil ensures an unlimited future is a cliché of over-optimism in this area. Although oil plays a major role in climate change and its reserves are limited, our dependence on this resource is so extreme that the power granted to those who control it is almost limitless.
Within the scientific community, researchers recruited by the oil companies make up the 1% minority. They claim that oil and petrol do not contribute to climate change. If they were paid for it, these same scientists would claim that smoking cures asthma and that exhaust fumes are good for the lungs.
Green Power
I created Green Power as part of my ‘Power & Glory’ series, which explores different notions of power and glory in terms of industry, authority, energy, the environment, politics, vice and virtue. Most of the images in the ‘Power & Glory’ series are critical of fossil fuels and use the iconography associated with oil and petrol as symbols of what drives America forward, both literally and metaphorically.
Within the series, Green Power is one of the images in favour of green energy. Instead of subsidising polluting fossil fuels, tax revenues should support research and development into renewable energies.
Respect and Justice
The Respect & Justice poster is a call to celebrate, respect and care for the planet. The interdependence of ecosystems inspired the concept of Gaia: the Earth is seen as a single organism with a fragile respiratory system that climate change threatens to destabilise dangerously. There will be no real justice for the planet and for future generations of all kinds until we respect the fragility of the ecosystems on which life depends. The future is in our hands.
Paint it Black
The Paint it Black Hand poster is inspired by the Rolling Stones song and talks about the excessive influence of oil on US energy and foreign policy. Imagine if all the money spent on wars and strategic interests in the Middle East had been invested in developing environmentally friendly energy alternatives…
Instead, the government subsidises the highly profitable fossil fuel industries to the tune of several billion dollars a year, because no politician wants to be blamed for the rising price of oil and petrol. Countries and companies still need oil, but they need to invest in sustainable energy to make the transition from fossil fuels with limited reserves, which are also responsible for CO2 emissions and climate change.
Lifeguard not on Duty
The Lifeguard Not On Duty poster is inspired by vintage postcard landscapes and old photos of oil wells drilled on the beaches of the Californian coast. A number of drilling platforms can still be seen from the beach at Santa Barbara, where there have been several oil spills. In addition to the environmental danger posed by oil spills and climate change, Lifeguard Not On Duty also highlights the widespread lack of foresight in the transition from oil, a finite resource, to renewable energies.
The tide will turn, but one question remains: will the world be technically equipped to adapt?
Global Warming
The idea for the Global Warning poster came to me as I watched my wife Amanda sunbathe and protect her face with a newspaper. I imagined the irony of the headlines about climate change: the tanning enthusiast remains blissfully ignorant despite having all these warnings about global warming right in front of her!
I immediately took a photo of my wife to illustrate this, and then had fun criticising the climate sceptics on the American right through the articles in a satirical newspaper. Given the scale of climate change, it’s surprising that it doesn’t make the headlines more often.
Save our Environment
This image actually dates from the late 90s. I designed it for the Save Our Environment organisation founded by Mike D of the Beastie Boys. At the time, wind power was beginning to become more profitable, and therefore viable, as a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels. Since wind is free, the main challenge inimplementing wind turbines was the upstream costs. I think it’s really worth investing in wind energy to save the environment. I created this image to present wind turbines as emblematic symbols of the planet’s health.