**3. Analysis**

*Blue Radius* brought together art and science perspectives to drive home the immediacy of climate change—something so large, world-altering, and seemingly too distant to fathom—by looking to local manifestations of ecological collapse that we could be preventing. It was a collaboration between artists, scientists, organisations and businesses that presented unique sensorial, emotional and scientific perspectives

to illustrate how human choice influences our ability to contemplate, respond to, and act on the ecological challenges we have created. The exhibition proposed that a more holistic perspective would enable people to confront how present modes of living diminish not only our lives but also the prospects of future generations.

The exhibition took place in Auckland, which is New Zealand's largest city. It is home to many harbours and marinas with moorings for more than 500,000 sailboats and yachts, giving rise to its nickname, the "City of Sails." With a coastline extending to 3200 km, living with the ocean is part of Aucklanders' identities, as an estimated 25% of households own at least one boat, and living with a beach view is highly sought after. However, sea level rise threatens this idyll. In 2019 newspapers were widely reporting new research released by Auckland Council that by 2060 a projected increase of 50 cm sea level rise, increased storm surges, high tides, and large waves would mean that the homes of more than 43,000 Aucklanders will be inundated and leave up to 30% of the city center at risk [20–22].

Considering this situation, *Blue Radius* sought to present climate change and human decision-making as the key issues prompting sea level rise and other ecological emergencies taking place along Auckland's coastlines. Spanning photography, sculpture, audio-visual installation, and video gaming, *Blue Radius* reflected on the function of art as a platform for critical engagement that juxtaposed the perspectives of artists and activists, scientists and organisations to examine the impact of sea level rise on the lives of citizens. It sought to change perceptions of climate and ecological crises by offering a range of spatial interventions for gallery visitors to navigate, using observational imagery, audio-visual testimony, an interactive "Serious" game, and the confronting spectacle of an eight-cubic meter Carbon Stack made of layered hay, coffee husks, and dried leaves, placed right in the middle of the gallery space (**Figure 3**).

At two-meters high, *Tuakana Teina* disrupted views across the gallery. Visitors were at times perplexed by its presence: "it's impossible to avoid, there it is—everywhere you look!", "a larger-than-life structure that gets in the way", "its spoiling my view of the other works", "it blocked my view of the speakers". The Carbon Stack concept belongs to Richard Wallis, founder of The Carbon Cycle Company, and inventor of the Carbon Composter who helps individuals, companies, and communities to reduce CO2 emissions by composting local food waste. Having a store of carbon

**Figure 3.** *Blue Radius exhibition view (Image Credit: Laura Donkers).*

*Arousing Public Attention on Sea Level Rise in New Zealand through Art-Science Collaboration DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.108329*

beside your community compost heap ensures that local food waste can be properly composted down to a beneficial growing medium.

Wallis created a composting system with Bianca Ranson at the community garden at her local *marae* in Waiheke Island. Ranson chose to use the idea of the Carbon Stack as a metaphor for healing environmental and societal ills, identifying that "Climate justice starts with those most vulnerable in our community including our taonga (treasure) species. Extraction, pollution, and governance have left our moana (ocean) in a biodiversity crisis, facing ecological collapse. The mauri (life force) of our moana is under threat."

Her "elephant-sized" Carbon Stack is decorated with a shredded 1000-page court injunction and a Pohutukawa tree that was ripped out by the private developers who were building the unwelcome luxury 140-berth marina. She, along with 31 other members of her community, were each sanctioned with a trespassing injunction and given a \$750,000 fine for swimming in their own bay in protest at the construction work that destroyed the habitats of the nesting Kororā (native Little Blue Penguin). The concept of her work, *Tuakana Teina,* highlights the Māori belief that all valued species such as the Kororā "come before us in our whakapapa (genealogy). Our relationship to them is tapu (sacred) and we have an inherent responsibility to protect them." The Carbon Stack contributes to the composting of all food waste on Waiheke Island. When these artefacts become nutrient-rich soil and food, they will feed the hungry stomachs of those making this urgent stand at a time of climate crisis and biodiversity loss (**Figure 4**).

NIWA's *My Coastal Futures Game* afforded a very different experience to visitors. Its accessible format invited participation, which was for all ages from 10 years upwards. The game took you through a decision-making process in around 5 minutes. Its purpose was to help players understand some of the science of climate change and the things we can do to combat it both individually and, with their families, schools and communities (**Figure 3**). The idea was to bring the impact of changing climate, rising seas, and worsening storms that damage the coastline into the hands of the players to make decisions about their coastal property as the sea level rises. All is not lost, there are ways you can adapt. You can build a seawall, move your house back on the section, or move elsewhere. What you choose is up to you but watch out—things can change quickly! Spend your money wisely to determine your coastal future.

NIWA, the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, is New Zealand's Crown Research Institute for climate, freshwater and marine science. They provide decision makers with the science-based information they need to make informed choices in a changing world.

#### **3.1 Effective decision-making around sea level rise impacts**

*Blue Radius* presented a local exploration of the ecological emergencies taking place along Auckland's coastlines and how human activity was inducing climate breakdown. It looked at the ways humans damage local marine ecology through ongoing extractive practices by mining coastal sand for construction that destroys seabed environments, while permits are granted for marina construction on fragile ecological sites. The exhibition proposed that a more holistic perspective would confront how our present modes of living diminish not only our lives but also the prospects of future generations. Building on our human capacities to innovate is an important way to motivate action [12] but our innovative capacities must include compassion

**Figure 4.** *Family playing my coastal futures game (Image credit: Laura Donkers).*

and empathy for the non-human entities we live with and rely on for our continued prosperity.

Spanning photography, sculpture, audio-visual installation, and video gaming, *Blue Radius* reflected on the function of art as a platform for critical engagement that juxtaposed the perspectives of artists and activists, scientists and organisations to examine the impact of sea level rise on the lives of citizens. It sought to change perceptions of climate and ecological crises by offering a range of spatial interventions for gallery visitors to navigate, through observational imagery, audio-visual testimony, a towering, tactile, three-dimensional object, and a relevant, interactive "Serious" game. The exhibition explored how individual and collective voices can help to illuminate structures of policy and decision-making and give voice to the

non-human entities that exist and suffer because of destructive human activity. This multi-disciplinary approach supported connection-building across human and nonhuman communities to imagine, engage, and inform the public.
