Can artists save the world? CO2morrow, a spectacular, eight metre wide, interactive sculpture by Marcos Lutyens and Alessandro Marianantoni, will be installed close to the entrance of the National Trust property Seaton Delaval Hall this week.
The sculpture is designed to raise awareness about climate change and uses pulsating lights to show the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere through colour animations. It changes shade from blue, meaning low levels of greenhouse gases, to violet, which indicates severe pollution.
The installation aims to provoke discussion amongst Trust supporters and local community members about two key aspects of the future of the Hall: sustainable energy and art.
“What is really captivating about the installation of CO2morrow at Seaton Delaval Hall is that the property commands a view of the Port of Blyth just a few miles away which, as recently as the 1960's, exported six million tons of coal and has now turned to embrace new green technologies,” said Marcos Lutyens, a Los Angeles based artist and co-creator of the sculpture.
“The marriage of heritage conservation issues with innovative approaches, brought about through a cutting edge mix of art and science, promises a great experience for visitors and will hopefully spark debates about how green technologies can be used to advance the conservation goals of the National Trust."
The CO2morrow sculpture is made from the latest carbon fibre infusion techniques, aluminium and LEDs and its form was inspired by a 'scrubber molecule' which is designed to remove carbon dioxide from the air.
Catherine Atkinson, property manager at Seaton Delaval Hall said: “We’re really excited to bring CO2morrow to Seaton Delaval Hall and hope that people from across the region will come to see this magnificent sculpture.
“During the consultation we carried out before acquiring the hall, people told us they wanted to use the space for many varieties of art and we’re interested to see how visitors will react to this avant-garde installation.
“At the Trust we’re always looking at ways of reducing our impact on the environment and Seaton Delaval Hall, being a new acquisition for the Trust, has the opportunity of becoming a beacon of sustainability for the future.”
Alessandro Marianantoni, co-creator of CO2morrow added: “'I'm excited that our project will be shown at this historical site as it demonstrates that new media art can form an innovative and meaningful bond with cultural heritage”.
The CO2morrow tour is funded by Trust New Art, a programme to connect more people to National Trust places through contemporary art and craft, supported by a partnership with Arts Council England.
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