Artist Statement

Calum Cleary
Gijs van Duffelen

“Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s needs, but not every man’s greed” – Mahatma Gandhi

Ignorance is defined as the lack of knowledge, understanding or information about something. Inspired by the photo “A Day in the Life of a Quebec Fire Crew” this installation aims to address the growing indifference of the powerful and wealthy towards the climate crisis and its global impact on regions around the world. 

The installation critiques the Ignorance of the 1%, who prioritize their wealth and political agendas while disasters and quality of life deteriorates worldwide. Through references to figures like Trump, idiotic government spending and Elon Musk’s increasing influence on modern politics the art piece exposes how these individuals treat this crisis like a game that can be controlled with no consequence. 

The installation aims to provoke reflection on the collective responsibility of humans to act. The climate crisis requires global cooperation, not just a few. This artwork calls viewers to reconsider choices made by those in power and to recognize that their greed and ignorance cannot be tolerated. We must act.