On 8 December, a humanitarian coalition comprised of Paul G. Allen’s Vulcan Inc., the Li Ka Shing Foundation and Okeanos, in partnership with The Oceanic Preservation Society and Obscura Digital, and under the auspices of the World Bank Group’s Connect4Climate initiative, will present a gift of contemporary public art entitled Fiat Lux: Illuminating our Common Home to Pope Francis on the opening day of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy.
At this unprecedented and historic event, beautiful images of our shared natural world will be projected onto the facade of St Peter’s Basilica, in a contemporary work of public art that tells the visual story of the inter-dependency of humans and life on the planet. The projection is aimed to educate and inspire change around the climate crisis across generations, cultures, languages, religions and class. The large-scale architectural public art installation is inspired by the themes of climate change, human dignity and the earth’s living creatures included in Pope Francis’ Laudato Si encyclical.
Programmed to coincide not only with the jubilee but also with Cop21 in Paris, the historic occasion will call on citizens of the world to join a global movement to protect our common home. The projection can be viewed by those at St Peter’s Basilica and via live global television broadcasts and online streaming. The cinematic event will feature the work of some of the world’s most notable humanistic and nature photographers and filmmakers including Sebastião Salgado (Genesi and Contrasto), Joel Sartore (National Geographic Photo Ark), Yann Arthus Bertrand (Human), David Doubilet, Ron Fricke and Mark Magidson (Samsara), Howard Hall, Shawn Heinrichs, Greg Huglin, Chris Jordan, Steve McCurry, Paul Nicklen and Louie Schwartzberg.
The projection is curated by Louie Psihoyos and Travis Threlkel, and produced by Obscura Digital. Carole Tomko, vice president of Vulcan, Inc. says: “It is an immense honour to participate in the partnership that is bestowing this gift to Pope Francis, with whom our founder Paul Allen shares a common vision for the protection of our treasured natural world. It is our hope that this beautiful and contemporary work of public art will inspire citizens of the world to join together in a moment of compassion and to activate a global movement to protect humankind, our common home and precious endangered species.”
Li Ka-shing says: “It is a great honour to be a part of Fiat Lux: Illuminating our Common Home. It is our hope that this project will inspire reflection; rekindling our quest for spiritual and scientific wisdom, renewing our hope and steadfastness. While science and technology can broaden human perspective, it is only through love that humanity can prevail. That is why it is such a privilege to participate in this project, at the very nexus of the philosophy of brotherly love. We are humbled and grateful for the opportunity.”
Jim Yong Kim, president of the World Bank Group, says: “We are honoured to be working with the Vatican to raise awareness of an issue so critical to our shared goal of ending extreme poverty. The poorest people in the world are disproportionately affected by the effects of a warming climate and are most vulnerable to natural disasters and extreme weather. This impressive initiative will draw global attention to the urgency of tackling climate change for the sake of people and our planet.”
Lucia Grenna, programme manager of the World Bank Group’s Connect4Climate global partnership programme, says: “We are proud to support the realisation of this gift of art to Pope Francis and to work with our creative partners to highlight the biggest issues facing mankind: poverty and climate change. This artistic display will tell a powerful visual story of the inter-dependency of all life on earth with our environment and we hope inspire the teams in Paris to push for the most ambitious deal possible.”
Join the Fiat Lux: Illuminating our Common Home on 8 December 2015 from 7pm to 10pm CET at St Peter’s Square, Vatican City. To view the live stream of the event, for real time updates and to download press materials, including images and videos, click here. Follow online with #FIATLUX and #OurCommonHome.
Content on this page is paid for and provided by Connect4Climate, a sponsor of the Guardian Global Development Professionals Network.
