On a beautiful spring day in 2017, as I was scrolling through Instagram, an image stopped me in my tracks. I gravitated to the image: a pair of giant elegant white hands emerging from the water holding up a building in what looked to be in Venice, Italy. I soon learned that this work, called Support, was created by the very talented Lorenzo Quinn. I instantly became a fan of his work.
These HANDS have the power to change the world.
Don’t believe me? Well, keep on reading and I’ll explain what I am talking about.
The Support installation highlights the threat of climate change and how the City of Venice is in danger of sea level rise. The art sculpture emerging from the Grand Canal is “supporting” the historic Ca Sagredo Hotel. The hands represent how man has the ability to preserve and protect this world, at the same time, has the ability to destroy it.
Thus, WE have the power to change the world - that change can be either supportive or destructive.
We think of climate change as something elusive and ethereal and not part of our immediate reality. But, unfortunately it is not. It’s happening right here, right now, at this very moment. Not just somewhere far off on the other side of the world, but also in our backyards.
AND, it’s getting worse.
But, the good news is we have the power to change that.
The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.
-Robert Swan
Why these Hands Matter to YOU
Lorenzo’s art installation is a representation of something big that matters to each and everyone of us. You, me, your children, your neighbor - everyone.
Climate change is a very complex issue. It affects our way of life in so many ways. It impacts our economy, crops, agriculture, food, air, water, animals - every resource. AND human health as well. Yikes!
Basically, our priorities and the things that matter most to us are going to be threatened.
What does this mean for Sacramento, and the entire State of California? We are seeing more frequent extreme weather events here. As a result of reduced snow pack in our beautiful Sierra mountains, our California water supply has been affected. The snowpack that is stored over winter and melts during the warmer months has decreased over time. Droughts especially have been intensified by climate change. The extreme dry conditions during the summer months have exacerbated these fire events in this state. This year alone has been the most devastating fire season I have ever experienced in California.
Now, this is just the tip of the iceberg. (No pun intended – Antarctic ice sheets are changing too as the Earth’s surface is being smothered by a giant heat-retaining blanket that’s increasing in temperature, causing icebergs to break off into sea the size of Delaware!)
And for the people of the iconic City of Venice, it impacts their survival to continue living there. The city may potentially be underwater within a century if climate change continues to worsen. And it is. Their city is already sinking, yet climate change is causing more floods, increasing the city’s sea level. This means changing and adapting to living in higher ground – abandoning their ground floor levels in their homes and raising their doorways.
We are all being impacted in some way by climate change, whether it’s here or on the other side of the world. And Lorenzo’s Support is a symbolic figure that we are all connected in some way and how climate related events are affecting us all.
The Man Himself
Image by Lorenzo Quinn
Lorenzo Quinn is a contemporary Italian sculpture artist. His work can be seen all over the world.
I deeply admire and appreciate Lorenzo’s work.
One of the many things that I appreciate about his art work is the messaging behind each piece. It’s not just for aesthetics, but each piece tells a story and is mission-oriented.
I wanted to sculpt what is considered the hardest and most technically challenging part of the human body. The hand holds so much power – the power to love, to hate, to create, to destroy.
-Lorenzo Quinn
Lorenzo’s art installation, Support, addresses climate change in a very unique and powerful way. An elegance between the beauty of this sculpture, yet it conveys the strength of our own human representation of our destruction.
Lets SUPPORT
Image by Lorenzo Quinn and Halcyon Gallery
So, how can we support our environment the way Lorenzo’s installation supports the Ca Sagredo Hotel?
Yep, it starts with YOU.
We need to educate ourselves and understand WHY and HOW climate change is impacting our planet. Sustainability is the path forward if we want to continue to survive and thrive. And our practices and the things that matter most need to move into that direction.
We can begin by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, such as driving your car less and decreasing our consumption of meat (which means less cattle raised, ultimately reducing those emissions produced).
And thus, adapting to a new way of being that can support us all well into the future.
In May of 2018, the installation Support was taken down in Venice. We hope to see this sculpture have a permanent residence in Venice in the future, but for now it’s being restored.
Although the installation has been taken down, the message of climate change still remains.
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Egretta’s mission is to connect people to nature and the environment through art and design. In the case of Lorenzo’s sculpture, Support, it’s a perfect example of bringing awareness on an environmental issue such as climate change, through art.
I want to thank Lorenzo and his team (Lucia Gonzalez) for taking the time to connect with me. Please check out his Instagram page and show some love and support (no pun intended) for the beautiful sculptures that he creates. You can also check out his website to see all of his beautiful works of art.
