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In 2015, visionary and advocate Gustav Metzger embarked on one of his last important works. Recognized for pioneering self-destructive creations, Metzger had devoted his career to confronting societal issues from peace activism to vegetarianism. In a brief video message, he requested support for a international event to honor the environment.

“This is my appeal for your engagement in this international summons for a day of action to remember nature on 4 November 2015,” he stated, encouraging makers and thinkers to stand against the steady eradication of flora and fauna. “Our responsibility is to make audiences aware of the diversity and intricacy in nature … and by doing so art will enter territories that are inherently creative.”

The Birth of Nature Remembrance

And so Remember Nature came into being, a day when cultural practitioners throughout Britain produced pieces to the escalating planetary emergency. An organizer, who worked closely with Metzger in his final years, recalls his feeling of immediacy. “I sensed a strong sense of urgency for him at the close of his days,” she says. “My advice was – don’t delay. Let’s not wait for sponsorship or for anyone to authorize this. We should proceed.”

After Ten Years

Ten years later, the initiative did not sparked the widespread change across the arts that Metzger had hoped for, but organizers feel its legacy can still be observed in campaigns like artist-led declarations and environmental protests, as well as in how artists approach the eco-friendliness of their practices. That’s why she is reviving it to mark its 10-year anniversary. Part of the featured creators participating now are Yu-Chen Wang and other notable figures. They have all designed posters, shared messages, and created artworks set to be presented on the fourth of November next year.

Planting Hope

When speaking to Anya Gallaccio, she is on site in the countryside, assisting with planting apple trees that will develop into a coiled garden. Working with schoolchildren, her project is somewhat artistic and somewhat instructive. As she explains, the planning and planting sessions have already included learning about measurements (calculating the gaps in the orchard), genetics (exploring the apple’s DNA), and history (mapping the journeys of how distinct varieties arrived in Britain).

Many of the apples were chosen because they’ve got funny names such as the Duck’s Bill. We have one apple that ‘bleeds’ crimson liquid

“Several the apples were selected because they’ve got amusing labels such as the Duck’s Bill,” the artist notes. “We have one apple that releases crimson liquid. They all have histories attached. The ancient variety was introduced by the Romans. The Flower of Kent is the apple that dropped off a tree and landed on Isaac Newton’s head.”

The artist aimed the children to be more consciously engaged of the environment and the power we have over it. “To many of them, apples were just things you buy from a supermarket, so I was encouraging them, on their next shopping trip, to check the packaging and see what they’re called and their origin. Ideally it reads Kent!”

Cultural Projects Across the Country

Within the city, Youngsook Choi’s project on disappearance will engage visitors looking through Tate Modern on a journey to find the ice masses that have been lost in the past decade. Every ice sheet will be drawn on the museum surfaces using ultraviolet markers. When located, a alert will occur and a recitation will be performed to honor that individual formation.

Meanwhile, up in a northern town, an artist will be putting on a public show about our alienation from the environment, as well as holding a shared meal, cooked from sustainable ingredients. Over in Newcastle, a participant is broadcasting her environmental performance, in which regional performers embark on a mission to perform for vegetation in a local park.

Young Insights

Following this approach, another participant will be engaging schoolchildren – on the actual event she is hoping to cover a cultural venue in youth creations that express their dreams and worries for the future. “Youthful expressions are powerful because they’re not as restricted as mature perspectives,” she says in her call to action video. “What children have to offer to the world is something quite unique and perhaps it can inspire a feeling of duty from us all. Youth is pure. They have concerns for tomorrow. But this shouldn’t be about worry – it should be about optimism and us ensuring that they get a future.”

Tributes and Thoughts

Another artist’s work also connects with children. With a background in performance, his avian project involves illustrating avians and then embodying them – and for the initiative he is aiming to tackle an iconic figure. He is also conducting a guided walk of the city, stopping at places that have been part of his Pansy Project over the recent decades. The project started after he faced several events of prejudice on a one occasion. As a reaction, Harfleet decided to plant a pansy at the site of each occurrence and photograph it – the project has since spiralled to cover events experienced by other people across the world. “The flowers remain there but they don’t often last,” says Harfleet. “Reportedly wildlife enjoys them, so they’re a ephemeral memorial.”

The artist selected the pansy not just for the obvious reason – it has long been a term of homophobic abuse – but also because its name derives from the French verb, penser, to think. “People connected it with a man who is contemplative, and that, of course, is a bad quality,” he says.

The plan on 4 November is to place blooms at new locations and also replant flowers in places he has honored before, all the while talking to those on the walking tour about the incidents and his recollections. “There’s been quite a few since I last planted,” he says with regret.

Moving Forward with Hope

He desires his work – and