Voices for the Future

The influential project Voices for the Future, at the United Nations 2019 Climate Action Summit, installed large-scale projections covering the exterior of the landmark UN building with images of an iceberg melting paired with words and voices from six young advocates, including Greta Thunberg, addressing their hopes and fears for the future in relation to the climate crisis and the urgent actions that must be taken.

Each of the six voices spoke one of the six official UN languages – Russian, Arabic, French, Spanish, English and Mandarin – and represent one of the world’s populated continents. The icebergs representing the seventh – Antarctica.

The words were collected and arranged by Klaus Thymann through interviews, correspondence and using several remote recordings the voices were recorded and played from speakers and the New York streets and were accompanied by music by Brian Eno. The words scroll the length of the building 500-foot tall United Nations building and the immersive art installation was visualised by with Joseph Michael.

The installation received global coverage from outlets including CNN and The Guardian.

“Voices for the Future – was a compelling visual prelude to the Climate Action Summit that combined a visual depiction of climate change, a collapsing iceberg, with the voices of six young people expressing their expectations and demands for a future in which leaders rise to the challenge through climate action. Art is a great medium that crosses the boundaries of language and culture, as did Voices for the Future.”   

  – Luis Alfonso de Alba, Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the 2019 Climate Action Summit.