IE Arts and Humanities Division: Art as Agent of Change in Sustainability

Francesca Thyssen is an avid contemporary art collector. She is convinced that art is a powerful tool as an agent of change. She is committed to saving our oceans and reversing climate change. She is working on becoming the world's first private collection that is carbon neutral, (if that is possible!) She wants to be as creative as possible to give conservation science a chance to communicate itself better with more hope and less drama. She wants the younger generation to feel empowered to change whatever they want to change.

John Gerrard. On the occasion of the celebration in Madrid of the United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP25), the Thyssen-Bornemisza Contemporary Art Museum present Western Flag (Spindletop, Texas) 2017, a work by the Irish artist John Gerrard which recreates the place where the world's first oil well, known as Lucas Gusher, was drilled in 1901, in the town of Spindletop (Texas, United States), an arid and depleted land today.

Markus Reymann. Experienced Director with a demonstrated history of building processes for transdisciplinary collaborations. Skilled in translating research into experiences as carrier of ideas, exhibitions, convenings publications, events, and public speaking programs.