Extinction: Renewal, Art of a Living Planet exhibition
Explore humanity's relationship with a changing world, from prehistoric time, through the present and into the future. This landmark exhibition brings together sculpture, photography, film and contemporary art from 36 world-renowned artists, including newly-commissioned works never before seen in public.
The exhibition has been created by the conservation charity Explorers Against Extinction, and you'll find it in the Core Building.
Top image: © Daniel Beltra – Iceland #5
Discover the exhibition
© Cristina Mittermeier – Alley of Giants
© David Nash – Faraway Tree
© Ami Vitale – Well (Jaipur, India)
© Julian Stair – Ossuaries
About the exhibition
1. Extinction
Travel back through Earth's history to explore what has been lost and what ancient landscapes can still teach us today. Highlights include Richard Deacon's sculpture created from the fossilised teeth of three vanished species, Emily Young's hauntingly beautiful carved stone face, which incorporates a 600,000-year-old hand axe, and David Nash's sculptures made from 800,000-year-old pinecones, alongside work from artists Andy Goldsworthy, Conrad Shawcross, Julian Stair, Eleanor Lakelin and Michael Pinsky.
Image: © Richard Deacon – Long in the Tooth
2. Climate
See our changing planet through the eyes of some of the world's leading environmental artists and documentary photographers. Featuring work by Sebastião Salgado, Daniel Beltrá, Richard Mosse, Cristina Mittermeier, Ami Vitale, Paul Nicklen, Michael Kenna, Bigert & Bergström, and Beverly Joubert.
Image: © Paul Nicklen – Uncharted film
3. Community
Meet artists and communities working on the front lines of the climate crisis, from Mongolia, to Malaysia, Sudan, Iran, Papua New Guinea, Zimbabwe and beyond. Together, they share their stories of resilience, cultural heritage and the deep connection between people and nature. Featuring work from Rashid Diab (pictured), Jantsankhorol Erdenebayar, Nasim Hantehzadeh, Shaq Koyok, Gazellah Bruder, Tichaona Ncube and more.
Image: © Rashid Diab – People of Nowhere
4. Renewal
Discover a renewed sense of hope through inspiring stories of communities restoring forests, recovering species, protecting ecosystems and finding new ways to live alongside nature. Featuring paintings and videos by Sophie Green, Gary Hodges, Emma Swift, Karen Laurence Rowe, Emily Lamb, Anne London and Luke Western. The exhibition concludes with a powerful spoken-word film voiced by Sir Stephen Fry, leaving you with a hopeful reminder that the future of the living planet is still ours to shape.
Image: © Emma Swift – Swift Hornbill
