Klima Biennale, 2024

Vienna

Floor Piece (Why be an artist when you can be an ecologist?)

2024, Print on fabric, coated metal

Floor Piece (Why be an artist when you can be an ecologist?), 2024 is an artwork by Cem A. that spreads across different spaces of the biennial. Drawing inspiration from the linguistic landscape of art institutions, the artist reimagines crowd barriers as a canvas for more critical reflection.

The artwork takes the form of barriers typically associated with caution or direction. Instead of serving their traditional purpose of crowd control, these barriers become a physical and conceptual barrier for the art-centric and human-centric approach of the exhibition to the climate breakdown.

The artworks extend into all areas of the biennial where physical barriers would be needed. As viewers encounter these pieces throughout the biennial, they gradually accumulate layers of meaning, prompting reflection on the ways in which we navigate and interpret our surroundings. By questioning the authority of the signage and directives commonly found in such spaces, the artist invites viewers to engage critically with the structures of power inherent in our built environments.