The Vancouver Art Gallery (VAG) has opened 'Future Geographies: Art in the Century of Climate Change,' an exhibition curated by Eva Respini that brings together artists from British Columbia, Canada, and beyond to imagine futures shaped by the climate crisis. The show features dozens of works created within the last 25 years, including large sculptures from repurposed waste like Liz Larner's 'Meerschaum Drift' and Brian Jungen's whale skeleton 'Cetology' made from plastic patio chairs, as well as John Akomfrah's three-channel film 'Vertigo Sea.' The exhibition runs at the VAG until January 10 before traveling to the Art Gallery of Ontario in March.
This exhibition matters because it positions contemporary art as a vital tool for grappling with the climate crisis, using visual and sensory experiences to make abstract environmental threats tangible and emotionally resonant. By featuring works that transform waste into art and draw on archival natural history footage, the show demonstrates how artists can help audiences confront uncomfortable truths about humanity's impact on the planet while imagining possible futures. The cross-institutional collaboration between the Vancouver Art Gallery and the Art Gallery of Ontario also signals growing commitment among major Canadian museums to present climate-focused exhibitions.