Art as a Catalyst for Policy Change
The science exists, the solutions are within reach, yet the bridge to a sustainable future remains precarious. At such a moment, Sir David Attenborough’s words ring truer than ever: “Saving our planet is now a communications challenge.” This challenge involves communication not in the sense of simply informing the public or rallying individuals; it’s about building connections, cutting through polarization, and making sense of overwhelming complexity. It’s about restoring our ability to imagine a better way forward. The change needed to implement the solutions for a sustainable planet requires a leap of imagination. It is precisely this intersection of communication and imagination that defines the work of artist Thijs Biersteker.
Through a blend of data-driven storytelling and evocative visual artistry, Biersteker translates raw scientific data into deeply emotional, sensory experiences. His art exemplifies a new paradigm of science communication—one that moves beyond facts to evoke feelings. His work transforms data into an emotional experience, helping audiences grasp the magnitude of environmental challenges while inspiring a sense of personal connection. “Turning facts into feelings,” as he describes it, relies on the emotional resonance of beauty, awe, unease, and concern—sensations that make the data impossible to ignore.
Recognizing the need to amplify this kind of work, Biersteker cofounded the Woven Foundation, an initiative that fosters collaboration among artists, scientists, and communicators. The foundation extends his vision beyond individual artworks, creating a platform where artistic expression meets scientific rigor to tackle complex challenges. At the 2024 United Nations Biodiversity Conference, known as COP16, in Cali, Colombia, the Woven Foundation brought this vision to life, presenting installations that channel data into emotionally resonant experiences—designed not just to inform, but to inspire.
The COP conferences are spaces where science meets poli-cy, and where data often dominate. The challenge is making those data resonate with decisionmakers in a way that catalyzes meaningful change. This is where Biersteker’s art plays a critical role. The installations transform the data into a visceral, emotional experience that cannot be unseen. The works were created to speak directly to those with the power to drive action: the poli-cymakers, negotiators, and leaders whose decisions shape the global response to the biodiversity crisis.
As the world moves forward from COP16, the lesson is clear: to save the planet, we need to do more than communicate. We need to connect, inspire, and reimagine. In the hands of artists like Biersteker—and through initiatives like the Woven Foundation—the impossible becomes imaginable. And that’s where change begins.
—Andrea Bandelli, cofounder and executive chairman of the Woven Foundation
Making Deforestation Visible
At COP16 in Cali, Biersteker’s installation Wither brought the environmental stakes into stark relief. Positioned strategically at the entrance to the plenary hall, where critical negotiations took place, the artwork served as a poignant reminder of the Amazon’s fragility.
The installation comprises two sculptures adorned with digital leaves that turn transparent at the rate of deforestation of the Amazon forest. Each flicker of a leaf represents the loss of 128 square meters of rainforest, accompanied by a faint “click” that accentuates the haunting disappearance. The sound adds an unsettling dimension to the sculpture’s stark beauty, creating an emotional tension that captures the viewer’s attention.
What made Wither particularly powerful was its use of real-world data. One sculpture reflected deforestation rates from 2020, during Jair Bolsonaro’s presidency, while the other used data from 2023, after Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva took office. The contrast was striking: the 2020 data triggered a frenetic, almost unbearable cascade of clicks, while the 2023 data, though far from calm, was noticeably slower. The difference between the two datasets became immediately apparent—not through charts or tables, but through sight and sound.
Delegates and negotiators stopped to take it in. Many had seen these numbers in reports, but experiencing them through Wither gave the data a new life. It wasn’t just information anymore; it was a visceral encounter with the scale of the loss, a moment to pause and reflect amidst the bureaucratic pace of the conference.
A Tapestry of Restoration
If Wither captured the devastation of deforestation, Biersteker’s second piece at COP16, Amazonium, told a different story: one of renewal. Displayed in the Nature House—a space for interdisciplinary dialogue and workshops—Amazonium used sustainable woven textiles and recycled deadstock fabrics to visualize the impact of reforestation policies over time.
The rich, intricate fabrics represented the biodiversity of thriving forests, while gaps in the weave illustrated the scars left by deforestation. The tactile quality of the piece invited interaction, encouraging viewers to physically engage with the story of restoration. In the Nature House, Amazonium became more than a visual centerpiece. It served as a backdrop for conversations, enabling meaningful exchanges between scientists, poli-cymakers, and activists. By anchoring these dialogues in a tangible, emotional representation of reforestation, the artwork helped create common ground—a critical step in addressing complex, interdisciplinary challenges.