First, a quick introduction of myself. My name is Matt Convente, and I am a senior at Boston University majoring in graphic design. My brother is mconvente, who is considerably more known throughout the Daily Kos community.
I am writing this diary to share an exhibition that is close to my heart. The exhibition, titled Nine Planets Wanted!, is centered around the reduction of global carbon emissions. The exhibition was commissioned by the United Nations Development Programme and developed by a design studio in Manhattan called Zago. The exhibition, located in the UN General Assembly lobby in New York City, is open to the public until October 5, 2008.
More, including photos, below the fold...
The title Nine Planets Wanted! represents the fact that "if every person on Earth generated as much CO2 as the average North American, emissions would be nine times the sustainable level." The centerpiece of the exhibition are custom made beanbags that represent per capita carbon emissions of selected countries. Some of these beans bags, particularly the one representing the United States, are very large and are meant to create a lasting visual impact of the climate challenge we face. Supplementing the bean bags are wall graphics featuring a red-to-blue diagonal stripe motif representing temperature change; another component of climate change that we want viewers to take away is the tipping point of 2 degrees Celsius, which is the danger zone of global temperature increase. Additionally, a take-away large format newsprint was designed featuring informational graphics and striking photography from the international photo agency Magnum Photos.
As a graphic design student and intern at the Zago design studio, my main role in this exhibition was illustrating the informational graphs found on the walls and in the newsprint. It was a privilege and pleasure to work on such a momentous project, and I've gained so much experience from working on it this summer.
Now for some photos:
This is a photo of the entrance to the exhibition. The diagonal stripe motif wraps around the perimeter of the exhibition space, although space was left for blocks of text. The "2°C" is part of a lenticular lens that morphs between CO2 in blue and 2°C in red.
Here we see the bean bags in action. They are strongly constructed and the largest of them are meant to have people sit on them, as shown here. You can also gain a sense at how large the newsprint is.
This is a close up shot of the enlarged tags that were designed and sewed onto each bean bag. They are a serious, yet tongue-in-cheek approach to displaying the relevant emissions data.
A shot of a wall graph that I illustrated. It's in my handwriting!
I strongly encourage those of you that are relatively close to NYC to visit the exhibition. It was a product of love, passion, and concern about the future of our environment. I hope that you are moved to start or further continue a live of sustainable living.