University of Westminster students and academics have worked with Angel Central shopping centre in Islington to create an art exhibition to celebrate the Earth and highlight the need to put the planet before plastics.
Earth Day has been held every year on 22 April since 1970 and has become an occasion to mark appreciation of the planet and warn of the unsustainable environmental degradation resulting from human activity. In recent years, Earth Day has come to focus annually on particular themes and this year’s theme is Planet vs Plastics.
The exhibition was organised by Professor Pippa Catterall, Professor of History and Policy at the University of Westminster, who worked with a passionate group of students to bring together a thoughtful and engaging exhibition. Their work has resulted in a rich diversity of submissions, with students from across the University contributing artwork ranging from poetry to architectural drawings.
The exhibition is made up of the work from Westminster's Zijin Zeng, Boyan Dragomirov, Saja Siraj, Tazrian Tabassum; Rachel Peng, Simona Prilogan, Nissam Fassi-Fahri, Ollie Astley, Emily Duff, Lidia Karanfilovszka Zikic, Gabriella Pace and Balkis Mortie.
This is the first time Angel Central and the University of Westminster have collaborated in an exhibition to mark Earth Day and has been made possible by the support of Angel Central and the Quintin Hogg Trust.
About the exhibition Professor Catterall said: “These works are striking, moving, thought-provoking and in some cases also very funny. Whether ironic or inspiring, they all contribute to raising awareness of Earth Day and the need to care for the planet and our collective future. I’m very grateful to the Quintin Hogg Trust and Angel Central for making this possible. It’s been such a pleasure working on this exhibition with our amazing students."
She adds: “Exploring history is part of the process of changing the mindset, so that the Earth ceases to be seen primarily as a resource to be exploited and instead becomes seen as a responsibility and a trust for us to care for and pass on. We hope that their works will inform, engage and inspire. After all, in a sense, every day should be Earth Day!”
Adam Cummins, Centre Manager, Angel Central added: “Working with Pippa and the students from Westminster University has been an absolute privilege. All of the works were fantastic and I know all of our customers and colleagues have enjoying seeing them at the centre over the last few weeks.”
This exhibition directly contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13: Climate Action. Since 2019, the University of Westminster has used the SDGs holistically to frame strategic decisions to help students and colleagues fulfil their potential and contribute to a more sustainable, equitable and healthier society.
The exhibition will be on show at Angel Central, Islington until the 12th May.
Find out more about Art, Design and Visual Culture courses at the University of Westminster.
