Solar Guerrilla - A Unique Exhibition at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art
"Solar Guerrilla - a Constructive Response to Climate Change" is one of the world's first exhibitions to focus on a response to climate change. The exhibition shows how cities can be a key for mitigating the climate crisis
An innovative exhibition has opened at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art - "Solar Guerrilla - Constructive Response to Climate Change". The exhibition presents concrete examples from cities across the world and brings to life the remarkable initiatives in many cities. Beyond being an inspiring exhibition, it shows that cities are a key to positive change, striving to achieve sustainability and quality of life in this challenging period. This exhibition is among the world's first exhibitions to focus on the climate crisis, at a leading museum.
The exhibition was designed and established with the advice and professional guidance of Dr. Orly Ronen, Head of the Urban Innovation and Sustainability Laboratory in the Department of Environmental Studies, Porter School of the Environment and Earth Sciences, here at Tel Aviv University..
The exhibition illustrates how the commitment and joint efforts of cities and their residents to achieve sustainability, resilience and quality of life for the entire urban community, have a major impact in coping with the climate crisis. Organized into six sections, a variety of ideas, solutions and case studies from cities in Israel and around the world can be experienced, such as establishing sources of renewable and green energy in the city for benefit of the urban population, reducing pollutant emissions and reducing the ecological footprint. The exhibition presents solutions such as the design of "sponge" cities, solar trees, cladding of buildings facades in vegetation that absorbs air pollution and a system that produces water from air moisture for water-deprived countries. The cities presented in the exhibition include New York, Chicago, Copenhagen, Shanghai, Singapore and Tel Aviv.
On the opening night, the exhibition was attended by students of the "Regional Sustainability in the Middle East" joint program by Columbia University, New York and the Porter School of the Environment and Earth Sciences, Tel Aviv University. Graduate students from diverse countries, whose research focus is on climate change and its impact on water resources, partcipate in the program. The students have just completed a cross-border two-week tour throughout Jordan and Israel. The visit to the exhibition was an appropriate conclusion to the group's journey.
"At a time when extreme climate phenomena happen all over the world, calling for immediate attention, the city is one of the major keys and tools for a much required change" said Michal Dolev-Hashimshoni, a graduate student at the Department of Environmental Studies, TAU and one of the tour's participants. Chicago, Madrid, Hong Kong, London, Copenhagen, Shanghai, New York and Tel Aviv show us how much can we all do. Many of the exhibits are already known to professional audience, but this exhibition is an eye-opener to the public, bringing forwad experiences and remarkable insights. It also offers a vivid perception for decision makers at local and international levels".
Dr. Orly Ronen, head of the Urban Innovation and Sustainability Lab, explains in an interview with Xinhua, China that cities need to adapt to climate change. the world is changing and cities will be warmer, there are climatic phenomena such as storms in places where they have never been before. The extreme weather can be manifested by colder winters, rising sea levels, severe storms and unbearable summer heat, which will have a great impact on cities, residents and visitors. Cities can develop new, sustainable ways that will enable them to provide solutions such as internal provision of energy and food, lowering their impact on the health of the planet and facilitating better well-being for city residents and for the entire planet.
The exhibition is open to visitors 18 July to 15 December 2019.
Related:
The exhibition site - Solar Guerrilla
Regional Environmental Sustainability Program in the Porter School and Columbia University
Regional Sustainability in the Middle East Program participants
