‘Earth Beats’ is an artists’ plea to preserve the Earth and its natural resources for future generations, born out of the urgency of the present situation. The exhibition turns its attention to past, present and future and addresses the highly topical issue of climate change, the effects of which are manifest in nature but also in everyday life. Nature, in the form of landscape painting, is firmly embedded in the art history of the modern age. In works from earlier centuries we generally encounter it as idyllic scenery, but since the 1970s it has been depicted with ever greater clarity – in both mass media and art – as an entity threatened by human intervention and therefore deserving of protection. This is largely due to the growing social awareness of ecological issues worldwide, and the urgent need for action to protect the environment. Taking as its starting point the elements of earth, air and water, the exhibition explores artists’ engagement with the Blue Planet, framed by our consciousness of its fragility. It considers both the history of ideas and future-oriented scenarios for the sustainable use of natural resources.

Curated by Sandra Gianfreda and Cathérine Hug

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Image: Joseph Beuys, Difesa della natura, 1984