UBS & Art Basel - Art in Action

UBS Global Art & Art Basel
Art in Action
Web series

Creative strategy
Art direction
Film direction
Production
Visual identity
Design
Animation
Editing

Episode 1, Julian Charrière

Julian Charrière: Visualizing the Climate Crisis

The acclaimed Swiss artist describes the adventures that have shaped his vision in a film co-produced by UBS Global Art and Art Basel.

Julian Charrière is a present-day explorer, creating artworks that are informed by expeditions to some of the world’s most remote landscapes, including volcanoes, icebergs and seabeds. In this short film, the acclaimed Swiss artist delves deeper into his practice and mission, discussing his ecological adventures and how art can change the way we see the world.

Charrière’s work spans film, sculpture, and photography, and depicts the tensions between geological and human timescales in a digitized era. Through his practice, the artist supports Global Goal 13: Climate Action, one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations.

‘The global climate crisis is a big and complex topic that is almost impossible to understand,’ says Charrière. ‘I wanted to visualize it.’ The artist’s diverse practice draws inspiration from environmental science and cultural history, as well as the ‘thousands of stories’ humans have developed in response to the natural world."

Episode 2 - Joan Jonas

Joan Jonas: ‘We should stop taking from the ocean’
See how the performance legend became a staunch champion of life below water

Since starting out as part of New York’s 1960s Downtown art scene, Joan Jonas has cut a unique figure in the art world. Feminism, storytelling, dance, and traditional Asian theater have all informed her performance practice which has emerged as one of the most influential of the last half-century. Nature and landscape have also always prominently featured in her work – and over the last few years, Jonas’ focus has sharpened on underwater life and the ocean. In this new video – shot during New York’s lockdown – the veteran artist discusses how she produced a body of work urgently reminding us of our collective responsibility towards one of the world’s most threatened ecosystems.