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During 2015, artist and activist Gustav Metzger initiated one of his last major projects. Known for pioneering auto-destructive art, Metzger had devoted his career to addressing global challenges from peace activism to vegetarianism. Via a concise video message, he issued a call for a worldwide initiative to honor the environment.

“I call upon you for your engagement in this global appeal for a day of action to reflect on the environment on the fourth of November, 2015,” he stated, inviting makers and thinkers to oppose the continuing disappearance of species. “The mission is to help the public recall of the diversity and intricacy in nature … and by doing so creativity will explore domains that are naturally imaginative.”

The Creation of Remember Nature

And so Remember Nature came into being, a day when creatives nationwide produced pieces to the unfolding climate catastrophe. One of the curators, who supported Metzger in his final years, recalls his drive for action. “There was a strong sense of urgency for him at the final chapter,” she says. “My advice was – we must act now. Let’s not wait for financial support or for anyone to authorize this. Take action immediately.”

After Ten Years

After ten years, Remember Nature did not sparked the widespread change across the arts that Metzger had envisioned, but Joelson believes its legacy can still be observed in initiatives like cultural advocacy groups and Extinction Rebellion, as well as in how artists approach the eco-friendliness of their methods. For this purpose she is relaunching it to celebrate its decade milestone. Included in the featured creators participating now are Yu-Chen Wang and Anya Gallaccio. Each has produced imagery, made video appeals, and developed pieces set to be presented on the fourth of November next year.

Cultivating Awareness

When speaking to one participant, she is working outdoors in Kent, cultivating apple trees that will grow to form a spiral-shaped orchard. Collaborating with schoolchildren, her project is somewhat artistic and half educational workshop. As she explains, the preparation and sowing sessions have already incorporated learning about mathematics (calculating the gaps in the orchard), science (studying the hereditary traits), and geography (researching the backgrounds of how distinct varieties came to the UK).

Several the apples were selected because they’ve got amusing labels such as the Bloody Butcher. We have one apple that releases red juice

“Several the apples were picked because they’ve got funny names such as the other unusual varieties,” she explains. “We have one apple that releases red juice. They all have stories behind them. The historical cultivar was imported by the Romans. The Flower of Kent is the apple that fell from a tree and hit Isaac Newton’s head.”

The artist aimed the children to be more actively aware of the environment and the power we have over it. “For a lot of them, apples were just things you get at a supermarket, so I was encouraging them, when they go shopping, to check the packaging and see their names and the source. Ideally it reads Kent!”

Artistic Responses Throughout Britain

Within the city, Youngsook Choi’s Book of Loss will involve participants exploring Tate Modern on a journey to find the ice masses that have been disappeared in recent years. Each glacier will be drawn on the gallery’s windows and walls using ultraviolet markers. When located, a bell will ring and a performance will be performed to commemorate that specific ice mass.

At the same time, up in another location, an artist will be presenting a open display about our disconnection from the land, as well as organizing a community dinner, prepared with sustainable ingredients. In another city, a participant is streaming her Some Kind of Love / Forest Choir, in which regional performers begin a project to use music to heal flora in Newcastle’s Jesmond Dene.

Youth Perspectives

Like Gallaccio, another participant will be collaborating with schoolchildren – on the actual event she is hoping to decorate an art space in children’s artwork that express their hopes and fears for the future. “Kids’ art are powerful because they’re not as trammelled as grown-ups’,” she says in her recorded message. “Young people’s input to the world is something quite unique and perhaps it can stimulate a awareness of obligation from each person. Youth is pure. They have fears about the future. But let’s not make it about worry – it should be about hope and making sure that they see a better world.”

Memorials and Memory

Another artist’s work also appeals to children. As a former drag queen, his feathered initiative involves drawing birds and then embodying them – and for Remember Nature day he is planning to address Liverpool’s famous Liver bird. He is also conducting a guided walk of the city, visiting various sites that have been part of his ongoing series over the past twenty years. That ongoing series started after he faced multiple occurrences of homophobic abuse on a single day. To counter this, Harfleet decided to plant a pansy at the site of each occurrence and document it – the project has since expanded to cover events reported by other people across the world. “I leave the pansies there but they fade quickly,” says Harfleet. “Apparently wildlife enjoys them, so they’re a very temporary memorial.”

The artist selected the flower not just for the obvious reason – it has long been a derogatory label – but also because its origin is the French verb, penser, to think. “It was linked to a man who is reflective, and that, of course, is a negative trait,” he says.

The plan on 4 November is to place blooms at fresh spots and also refresh the memorials in places he has honored before, all the while discussing with those on the walking tour about the occurrences and his memories of them. “I’ve recorded quite a few since I last planted,” he says mournfully.

Advancing Positively

Harfleet hopes his work – and