Madrid's Museums Mobilize Art for COP25 Climate Summit

During COP25, the 25th UN Climate Change Conference hosted in Madrid until December 13, the Museo del Prado and Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza are using art to raise environmental awareness. At the Thyssen, TBA21—founded by Francesca Thyssen-Bornemisza—presents John Gerrard's digital simulation "Western Flag (Spindletop, Texas)", originally created for Earth Day 2017. The work depicts a flag of continuous black smoke emissions at Spindletop, the site of the first US oil strike in 1901, symbolizing Western energy consumption. The Prado has lent images of four masterpieces to a campaign by WWF Spain and ad agency China, showing how climate change would alter paintings by Velázquez, Goya, Sorolla, and Patinir—e.g., Philip IV on horseback submerged by rising seas, Goya's maidens becoming climate refugees. At IFEMA fairgrounds, Michael Pinsky's installation "Pollution Pods" recreates smog levels of New Delhi, London, São Paulo, and Beijing using harmless aromas to simulate nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide.