The lungs of our planet — oceans, forests and the atmosphere — are under threat, invaded by carbon emissions, plastics and man-made pollutants. The act of breathing was rendered even more perilous by the COVID-19 pandemic and encounters with escalated police violence that became a focus of the COVID period. Breath(e): Toward Climate and Social Justice considers the connections between social and environmental injustice through the lens of contemporary art.

The Manetti Shrem Museum’s iteration of the exhibition features 14 artists from different backgrounds, showing the global scale and impact of the climate crisis, while also pointing toward the importance of coming together in community across borders. The works on exhibit focusing on climate change are by artists, scientists, and activists whose practices encompass photography, multimedia, large-scale sculptures, painting and more.