1. When facts and
numbers
are not
enough
-‐The
power of Storytelling
through art
for
Policy
development and
System
thinking for
Sustaniability
Hilde
Opoku,
Political Scientist
and
politician
Kristin
Støren
Wigum,
Industrial
Designer
(PhD)/
Gaia
Trondheim
2. When facts and
numbers are not
enough
• Despite
large
quantities
of
scientific
evidence,
and
people personally
experiencing
that
for
our
safety
is
at
stake,
we
don’t
se
adequate
political
or
populace
responses
to
the
environmental crises.
• This
presentation
aims
to
discuss
if
artistic
expression
and
performances,
as
storytelling,
have
a
stronger
influence
on
action
for
sustainability.
• From
a
systems
perspective
on
sustainability,
we want to
explore how art
and
artisans´ interacting with the public has
transformative
potential .
We will do
so
by
interacting with artists
and
their art.
RSD6 - Opoku, Wigum
3. The 17 UN Sustainability Goals for Development were signed in 2015. A forecast from 2017 (DNV GL,2 017) tells us we must challenge our systems
far more radically in order to reach any of them within 2030. The goals include end of hunger (2) as well as sustainable consumption patterns (12) and
reduced inequalities in global scale (10). (Foto: Greg Wood, (montasje). http://www.nettavisen.no/nyheter/article3252155.ece) RSD6 - Opoku, Wigum
4. The
political Challenge
• Most
governments,
local
or
national
thinks
in
terms
of
next
election
and
reelection.
Few
fundamental
transformative
reforms,
like
those
required
for
truly adressing
the
environmental challenge,
can
be
successfully
implemented
in
a
4
to
5
year
term.
Allthough we
have
examples that
climate
related
transformations
can
take place with
the
support
of
the
inhabitants,
the
political
system
is
reluctant
to
act
most
probably
out
of
fear
of
losing
support
from
their
voters. The
civil
society,
that
may
give
necessary
support
for
political
reforms, has
also
failed
to
communicate
in
ways
that
mobilizes
enough
people
to
vote
for
the
game
changers.
RSD6 - Opoku, Wigum
6. Research
question
• How
can
global
oriented
art
and
artists
play
a
role
as
catalyst
of
paradigme
change,
and
through
their
work
catalyst
public engagement,
policy
development
and
eventually
systems
and
products
redesign?
• Can
art
play
a breakthrough
role,
where
social
movements
have
failed,
in
shaping
new
politics
and
future
systems
designs
for
sustainability?
RSD6 - Opoku, Wigum
7. ...and
a
hypothesis
• Our
hypothesis is
that the workof artisans and
their
storytelling
can play
a
role in
helping the public
become aware and
mobilize for
change when other
mechanisms fail to
developsystems
of sustainability.
RSD6-Opoku,Wigum
8. Two international artists
• As
the issues at
stake
are global
we have
chosen an
artist
from
Ghana
in
West
Africa,
Serge
Attukwe Clottey,
representing the
global
south,
and
Marjetica Potrčs from
Slovenia
representing
the global
north.
RSD6 - Opoku, Wigum
9. System
background – Industrial
Ecology
•Inspired by
the ecological metaphor,
industrial ecology looks
at
how our systems
of production and
consumption can build on
natural resource conservationand
pollution preventionetc.
Our
aim is
to
place these achievements in
a
social system
wide basis.
RSD6 - Opoku, Wigum
10. Photo:
Krisitn Støren
Wigum
Organic material can no longer go to landfill in Europe. Politicians as well as designers in Norway try to develop new closed loops for
reclaimed wood from demolished houses. Wood stores carbon. (Photo: Kristin Støren Wigum, 2012)
RSD6 - Opoku, Wigum
11. Methodology on system
level
• The
system
thinking can be
applied at
different
levels and
scope,
depending on the system's boundaries identified as
important for
the
analysis.
As
for
industrial designers
these analysis helps
advice on i.e.
material
choice and
composition for
life
cycle design,
as
well as
solutions for
behavioral change.
For
policy
developments for
sustainability it
helps
identify bottlenecks that can be
opened through law or
change
of political objectivesand
strategies.
RSD6 - Opoku, Wigum
12. The
role of art
in
Industrial
design
-‐the roots of industrial design
are arts
and
crafts.
The
search for
meaning in
everydaythings,
and
design
for
experiences is
the
foundation of design.
Critical
Design
is
also a
new bridge
between
design
and
art.
The
role of art
in
policy
developments
-‐ since its beginning art
and
politics have
continuiously been in
dialouge
or
conflict.
RSD6 - Opoku, Wigum
13. Looking at how systems
change...
• Interesting is
how Meadows
(2008)
refers to
system
theory and
point
out that changing the elements
usually have
the least effect on
change:
“A
system
generally goes on being itself,
changing only slowly
if at
all,
even with complete substitutions of its elements
-‐ as
long as
its
interconnections and
purpose
stays intact.” .
RSD6 - Opoku, Wigum
14. ...and
how art
promotes
change
• Olafur
Eliasson:
“art
does not
show
people what to
do,
yet engaging
with a
good work of art
can connect you to
your senses,
body,
and
mind.
It
can make
the world felt.
And
this felt
feeling
may spur
thinking,
engagement,
and
even action” (2016).
RSD6 - Opoku, Wigum
15. ...and
how society believesin
art
as
change maker.
• Friedenwald-‐Fishman,
founder and
creative director of Metropolitan
Group
working with businesses,
civil societies and
social issues,
states
that for
the last
century,
financial and
institutional capital have
been
the priority leverage points for
addressing society’schallenges.
He
deeply believe that,
in
the future,
human,
social,
and
creative capital will have
the greatest impact.
RSD6 - Opoku, Wigum
16. Serge
Attukwei Clottey and
GoLokal Collective.
Photograph:
Nii Odzenma/Courtesy the artist
and
Gallery
1957
Serge
Attukwe Clottey,
Ghana
in
West
Africa
RSD6 - Opoku, Wigum
19. Marjetica Potrčs,
Slovenia
Marjetica Potrč,
The
Sami,
Along with Their Ashaninka Friends,
Contemplate Coexistance with the Earth,
2016,
Ink on paper,
56
x
76
cm;
Courtesy the artist
and
Galerie Nordenhake
Berlin
/
Stockholm
RSD6 - Opoku, Wigum
20. Marjetica Potrč,
Notes
on ParticipatoryDesign,
no.
1,
2011,
Inkon paper,
21
x
29.7
cm;
Courtesy theartist
and
GalerieNordenhake
Berlin
/
Stockholm
RSD6 - Opoku, Wigum
21. We can so
far
only
use our own
experiences...
Hilde
Opoku,
inspired to
initiate Eco-‐Schools
in
Ghana
and
2017/2018
work as
advicer for
the Ghanesian government on UN's
Sustainable Development
Goals.
RSD6 - Opoku, Wigum
22. Dette bildet kan ikke vises akkurat nå.
Kristin
Støren
Wigum inspired to
write a
chronicle
in
the newspaper based on the exhibiton and
lecture
by
the artist
Marjetica Potrčs, 2017 (The
Reindeers, art and the energy).
Political support
and
speaches
by
Hilde
Opoku for
the Sami people in
middle
of Norway
about to
lose
their natural areanas
for
their traditional ways of living.
Photo: Siv Maren Sandnæs, 2017
RSD6 - Opoku, Wigum
23. Discussion
• Are
these questions
and
hypothesis researchable?
• Art
and
science
must
exist with openm end
inquiry– different
from
design
and
politics.
(Maeda,
2013,
Sevaldson 2017).
How
is
that secured,
and
is
it
a
premise for
its power being a
catalyst?
• We all
need to
ask
the big questions
together on a
systemic level.
• Related projects to
look to:
• UiO,
Kjetil
Fallan,
Research
project:
Back
to
theSustainable Future:
Visions of Sustainability in
the Historyof Design
• NTNU,
Christian
Klôckner,
Reserach project:
Climart,
https://www.climart.info/
• References:
• Eliasson,
Olafur
(2016).
Why art
has
the powerto
changethe world https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/01/whyu artu hasu theu poweru tou changeu theu world/
• DNV
GL.
(2017).
The
FutureSpaceship Earth
• DokkP Holm,
Erling.
(2004).
Fra
Gud
til
Gucci.
• Meadows,
Donella H.,
editedby
Diana
Wrighht (2008)
.
Thinkingin
Systems
• FriedenwaldP Fishman,Eric (2011), No
art?
No
social change.
No
innovation economy.
• https://ssir.org/articles/entry/no_art_no_social_change._no_innovation_economy
• Sevaldson (2017).
Redesigning
systems
thinking.
• Wigum, Kristn Støren. (2017). Reinsdyra, kunsten og energien. (Chronicle)
RSD6 - Opoku, Wigum
