Sustainability in Action
As part of our ongoing commitment to facilitating dialogue and disseminating information with the global art community, ‘Sustainability in Action’ provided a dynamic platform for action-focused industry collaboration, dialogue and knowledge sharing. The lineup of speakers included artist Pipilotti Rist, Artists Commit; Art/Switch; Art to Acres; Christie’s; ClientEarth; Kate MacGarry; Frances Morris, Tate Modern; Gallery Climate Coalition; Hospital Rooms; KiCulture; Paul Tukey of Glenstone Museum and SUPERFLEX. The day-long conference was a hybrid, digital and in real life event, uniting international arts sustainability networks, hosted by Hauser & Wirth CEO Ewan Venters and chaired by art writer, broadcaster and The Art Newspaper correspondent, Louisa Buck.
Photos: Clare Walsh
Following four key themes, the conference explored how artist studios are working towards environmental best practices, collectors who are actively supporting industry-conscious approaches, galleries that are taking immediate action and organizations that are implementing changes within the supply chain. The event featured a special presentation by guest artist speaker Pipilotti Rist, whose studio has long practised sustainable methods for shipping and travel. Rist’s recent 2021 survey at The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) was the first carbon-calculated exhibition to be organized by the museum.
Photography: Clare Walsh
Welcome 0:00
Introduction from Ewan Venters, CEO of Hauser & Wirth
Chairs' Address 5:34
Chairs’ address by Louisa Buck, Contemporary Art Correspondent at The Art Newspaper
Artists, Studios & Commissions
10:26 Working towards environmental best practice
13:21 Bjørnstjerne Christiansen, Co-Founder, SUPERFLEX
22:31 Natalie Tilbury, COO, Hospital Rooms
33:45 Deville Cohen, Artists Commit & Laura Lupton, Galleries Commit
44:08 Johanna Rietveld, Founder & Co-Director, Art Switch & Anika Schroter, Co-Director, Art Switch
56:43 Haley Mellin, Founder, Art to Acres
Conscious Collecting 1:08:55
Developing and maintaining collections with responsibility Frances Morris, Director, Tate Modern Paul Tukey, Director of Environmental Stewardship, Glenstone Museum David Roberts, The Roberts Institute of Art Isla Angus, Music & Culture Partnerships, ClientEarth
Galleries Taking Action 1:59:56
Empowering galleries with resources to instigate change Heath Lowndes, Managing Director and Co-Founder of Gallery Climate Coalition Kate MacGarry, Director of Kate MacGarry Gallery and Founding Member and Trustee of the Gallery Climate Coalition Caitlin Southwick, Founder and Executive Director, Ki Culture and Sustainability in Conservation Cliodhna Murphy, Global Head of Environmental Sustainability, Hauser & Wirth
Accountability in the Supply Chain 2:38:14
Understanding how we should work together Simon Hornby, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Crozier Europe Hannah Wright, Registrar, Thomas Dane Gallery Tom Woolston, Global Head of Operations, Christie’s Jason Bailer Losh, Director of Business Development, Dietl International Adam Prideaux, Managing Director of Hallet Independent
Future Practice 3:18:54
What we should take away from today • Closing comments from the chair, Louisa Buck
