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Solent Unviersity Southampton logo

From recycling to renewable energy, this exhibition highlighted environmental concerns with a strong focus on future living.

Forward Looking brought together six artists from Canada, Japan and the UK who explored environmental, social and ethical concerns in their work acknowledging an increasingly widespread desire to find socially and environmentally responsible ways of living and working. Forward Looking explored how contemporary artists also grapple with this impulse to build a more sustainable future - whether or not they think this is actually possible.

Wind turbines through an aeroplane window

Lots of bottles on sticks on a river shore line

Artist Tim Pugh visited Southampton to collect discarded rubbish around the city and transform it in the gallery space. Photographer Joan Sullivan documented the installation of gigantic wind turbines in Canada and Joanna Wright asked other artists and local schools to draw an image responding to the question, "What Does the Future Look Like?" Controversially, artist Ayumi Matsuzaka created an unassuming performance piece and artwork called ‘All My Cycle’ which involved Southampton residents gathering their own kitchen, food and personal waste and composting it into soil that was safe to grow food in. Nick Gentry, known for his art using recycled materials, showed portraits made from old floppy disks and film negatives.

Nick Gentry's portrait using floppy disks

The exhibition linked with an event held at Solent University called Embrace the Change #EmbraceChange2014 which gathered innovative thinkers together to discuss solutions for a fairer, sustainable future.

New York Times newspaper with paper leaves on it

the forward looking exhibition

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