The Portuguese spring opened with a vast array of exhibitions dedicated to the most important topic of our time: climate change. Next to A Thermodynamic Imaginary, an installation by Tomàs Saraceno on a visionary aerocene in which humans will live in solar and wind-powered aerial cities, stands “Eco-Visionaries”, the second MAAT’s manifesto-show simultaneously curated by the HeK of Basel, the Bildmuseet of Umeå and the LABoral of Gijòn, Spain.

On show until October 8, “Eco-Visionaries: Art and Architecture after the Anthropocene” presents over 35 artistic and architectural responses to the current challenges set up by the evident effects of global warming on habitats, agricultural resources and health conditions of many populations of the equatorial and sub-tropical band of the planet.

From the videos directed by Ana Vaz and Tristan Bera on an ecological crisis to be interpreted first of all as economic, political and social, to the scientist-artist Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg’s analysis of the potential impact of synthetic biology on environmental biodiversity, this group-show turns in a cross-media reflection starting from these questions: how can art, new media and technologies draw attention to pressing ecological issues? What visionary projects and ideas are emerging to tackle climate change, food shortage and resource depletion? Which solutions are worth pursuing?

Art, as always, does not have to give answers but rather to form a critical thought, to provide an approach, to move a feeling and only then, finally, to urge to an action.