Extinction Rebellion: art wasn’t entertainment to Picasso — that’s why we used him to highlight the climate crisis

Pablo Picasso, on the political importance of art, claimed “painting is not done to decorate apartments. It is an instrument of war.”

In the fight for the planet, Extinction Rebellion is looking for any and all peaceful methods by which to put the climate and ecological emergency where it belongs: on the front pages of every newspaper and the start of every news bulletin, every day.

On Sunday we achieved this when two activists glued themselves to the perspex of a Picasso at the National Gallery of Victoria.

Art, at its best, is confronting, challenging and sometimes life changing. The painting targeted, Massacre in Korea, was already a political statement on the horrors of war. This made a perfect piece for action on how global warming will increase conflict of all sorts, as resources dwindle and famine and extreme weather displace unthinkable numbers of people. 

The target for actions like these is not Rebecca Huntley’s “disengaged, uncertain or sceptical” focus group participants discussed in Charlie Lewis’ piece yesterday in Crikey. It is the growing number of people convinced that the climate emergency is a real and immediate threat, and who are at the point where they can see that taking action — direct, meaningful action — is the way forward.

Keeping climate in the public eye in any form is a win. Just as COVID has been front and centre in every aspect of our lives during the pandemic, so should the effects of climate change on our planet. We only have one chance to get this right.

If a few people’s afternoons at the gallery are disrupted to do this, it is sad and annoying, but this sorrow is vastly overshadowed by the suffering of those already directly affected by a changing climate — such as the tens of millions in Pakistan flooded this year, or the billions of animals burnt to death or harmed in the 2019-20 bushfires. 

We also, unfortunately, have to find novel ways to get this attention. In an ABC media interview yesterday, when mentioning tragedies like Pakistan, the bushfires and what has happened in Lismore, I was met with a very dismissive “Oh, I’ve heard all that before” from the host.

To live in comfort and to be able to shrug off such incredible suffering as yesterday’s news, a bit boring, and not relevant to why people might be wanting to call attention to the environment shows how, even though most people have some understanding of the problem, most Australian lives are still disconnected from what is unfolding. It won’t stay like this for long.

Using art as a way to try to connect people’s emotions to the crisis, to touch something that we know matters to people who may be able to make a difference, is a gamble certainly, but waiting for the perfect action that won’t upset anyone is a greater gamble still. 

Picasso, the controversial artist and lifetime pacifist (and, to be fair, a problematic misogynist), would probably see our actions as bold and in the spirit of his art.

We invite lovers of his work to move beyond the shock of the event and feel the fear that we, and so many others, are experiencing over what we are doing to our home planet. And to think about joining us. It’s not too late.

Do you agree Australians need to be ruffled a bit from their complacency? Let us know your thoughts by writing to letters@crikey.com.au. Please include your full name to be considered for publication. We reserve the right to edit for length and clarity.