ANTHROPOCENE. The title comes to the name of the current geological era, that started from the mid-twentieth century, as said by members of the Anthropocene Working Group. In this age, the human species is the primary cause of a permanent change of the planet. In fact, Anthropocene is an artistic project that investigates the indelible human imprint on Earth through the extraordinary images of Edward Burtynsky, Jennifer Baichwal and Nicholas de Pencier.

It’s based on the research of an international group of scientists committed to gathering evidence of the passage from the previous geological era, the Holocene which began about 11,700 years ago, at the Anthropocene. This aims to demonstrate that human beings have become the single most determining force on the planet.
The photographer Edward Burtynsky and the directors Jennifer Baichwal and Nicholas de Pencier have therefore started a journey around the world, in all continents except Antarctica, to witness the irreversible signs produced by human activity on the planet.  Combining photography, cinema, augmented reality and scientific research, the three artists give life to a multimedia exploration of great visual impact. They show the changes brought about by human activity on the planet and testify to its effects on natural processes.

The exhibition is divided into four sections involving the spaces of the MAST. Its purpose is to make people think about the scope and meaning of these radical transformations. It’s also suitable for children because it’s possible to organize visits tailored to the age of the participants: an educator will guide them through photographs, installations, experiences, and a film.

Anthropocene is curated by Urs Stahel, Sophie Hackett and Andrea Kunard and is organized by the Art Gallery of Ontario and the Canadian Photography Institute of the National Gallery of Canada, in partnership with the MAST Foundation of Bologna.

For more information: https://anthropocene.mast.org/en/