Extinction Rebellion exhibition

Extinction Rebellion want ‘a climate and ecological emergency’ to be declared by the government ‘working with other institutions to communicate the urgency for change’. They want the government to act now in order to ‘halt biodiversity loss and reduce greenhouse gas emissions to zero’. They want a ‘Citizen’s Assembly’ to be established and to influence the government about climate change and what they term ‘ecological justice.’

The exhibition, showing in the Summerhall in Edinburgh until 25 August, highlights the issues currently challenging the future of the world, affecting our ecosystem and damaging our likelihood of long-term survival. It highlights the catastrophic effects of global warming and the ignorance of large brands and corporations.

There’s a striking art piece on the wall made entirely of plastics, all without the ability to decompose naturally. They are all non-recyclable and damaging our environment, animals and plant life. From face wipes to toothbrushes, there are items hung from the wall in sculptural forms that many visitors might not realise are made of plastic, or that they have this damaging effect on our world.

Other pieces in the installation show the effects on the ice caps, which are rapidly melting as a result of our disregard for sustainability. It shows the full effects of climate change, described as ‘the single biggest issue to face contemporary society.’ There are a series of photographs detailing the effects this is already having upon our earth. A series of newspaper articles highlight a dystopian dismal future and the one we are heading towards as captured by a tabloid newspaper.

An illustrated skull is made up of all the animal species that are now extinct thanks to humanities negligence and ignorance. It warns that more and more animals are heading this way, that our disregard for all forms of life is depleting our natural ecosystem and allowing wildlife to be polluted and depleted. A giant egg shell, cracked and broken, runs with blood as cycles of birth and death within the animal kingdom is disrupted by our own actions as more and more animals become extinct and unnecessarily culled by our pollution.

The exhibition also has a desk for the activist's promotion, with representatives distributing leaflets and information about how visitors can find out more and get involved with Extinction Rebellion. The exhibition serves to raise awareness of the important issues we are facing, highlighting the problems, the destruction of the natural world, wildlife and our planet whilst also offering solutions to this political crisis. It doesn’t shy away from its political and activist stance, the walls adorned with protest posters and colourful embodiments of the organisations beliefs.

It's an exhibition that is fighting to be seen, heard and listened to, to try to stop the process of destruction, permanent damage, climate change and lasting effects of single-use plastics and fossil fuels before it is too late.