News
UNESCO unveils work of art “Amazonium” by eco-artist Thijs Biersteker sponsored by LVMH
The artwork, Amazonium, dynamically moves in response to real-time data on deforestation and reforestation in the Amazon, providing a powerful visual representation of environmental changes. It is an interactive sculpture composed of rainforest-shaped fabrics, animated by data collected over the years from the Amazon Basin. The forest-themed fabrics dynamically move up and down, enveloping the observer in an immersive experience that simulates the lushness of the jungle. They then recede, allowing one to sense the stark emptiness of deforestation. The gradual rise of the fabrics follows, visualizing data from a UNESCO-protected area supported by LVMH.
Amazonium is the collaborative creation of ecological artist Thijs Biersteker and scientist Paulo Eduardo Massoca from Indiana University Bloomington, developed under the auspices of the UNESCO MAB programme and backed by LVMH.
The primary objective of Amazonium is to immerse individuals in the stark realities of the concealed regions of the Amazonian rainforest. The rhythmic ascent and descent of the fabric panels, reminiscent of protest banners, serve as a poignant reminder of the perpetual cycle of rainforest loss and gain—an ever-present phenomenon that demands our unwavering attention.
Crafted from recycled steel trees, sustainable woven fabrics, and LVMH dead-stock materials, this 6x6 meter interactive sculpture boasts an elegant motion. Guided by the data displayed on small screens within the colossal installation, the fabric panels gracefully engage in a dance of destruction and regeneration. Augmented by carefully curated smells and sounds, the artwork offers a visceral insight into the critical issues unfolding in one of the planet's most vital regions.
Amazonium not only underscores the pressing urgency of the issue but also offers a ray of hope by spotlighting areas of successful reforestation, a testament to the impact of protection and education initiatives in those regions. The artwork encapsulates the emotions derived from a mission wherein the artist, the UNESCO MAB team, and LVMH collaboratively visited protected sites in the Amazonian rainforest.
The motion from being embraced, encapsulated into the jungle to standing in a naked nothingness of deforestation is an experience that turns the distant deforestation data into an emotional experience. This is something that I wanted to translate and communicate with the artwork Amazonium.
The work is commissioned by UNESCO and LVMH to showcase their involvement in protecting the areas in different regions of the Brazilian Amazon.
LVMH is delighted to continue its collaboration with Thijs Biersteker once again. Amazonium, like all his art, based on data, here from a field project that we are supporting with UNESCO’s MAB program, allies creativity and science. We don’t have the luxury to wait for the environment, and this artwork contributes to that effort by raising awareness, in line with our LIFE 360 environmental roadmap.
UNESCO strongly believes in the power of art to open minds and change behaviors, enabling connections with the living, the protection of biodiversity, and fostering reconciliation among people. The work of Thijs Biersteker testifies to a unique commitment to biodiversity through a distinctive dialogue between scientific data and cultural experiences, both of which lie at the heart of UNESCO's mandate.
The work is created by renowned ecological artist Thijs Biersteker, known for his work that moves between science communication and museum highlights. Turning scientific data into installations that make you feel the facts again. The artwork is created in collaboration with scientist Paulo Eduardo Massoca from Indiana University Bloomington.
