Episode Summary:In this episode we are interviewing Scottish artist Katie Paterson, on the occasion of the biggest iteration to date of Future Library project in Oslo, and one of her most political works to date, Requiem, which opened in Edinburgh in April. Katie explains: “I’ve always made artworks that deal with nature and time and climate, but this is the first that isn’t afraid to be political and confrontational... It is both celebratory and mythical, and yet it is also the saddest work I’ve ever made, mourning life lost and expressing a dystopian vision.” Making a quiet and gestural artwork, Katie refers to herself as a whispering activist, calling for awareness of distance with nature. Requiem tells the birth and life of our planet in a single object – an object that uses dust gathered from material dating from pre-solar times to those of the present. Katie’s visionary project Future Library is one of the best examples of how artist can contribute to global crisis. “A forest has been planted in Norway, which will supply paper for a special anthology of books to be printed in 100 years time. Between now and then, one writer every year will contribute a text, with the writings held in trust, unread and unpublished, until the year 2114. The manuscripts will be held in a specially designed room in the new public library, Oslo.”“The crisis is not imminent; the crisis is here” George MonbiotThe Speaker:Katie Paterson was born in Glasgow in 1981. She studied at Edinburgh College of Art and the Slade School of Art, London, and is widely regarded as one of the leading artists of her generation working at the nexus of art and science. Recent and upcoming projects include solo exhibitions at the Scottish Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh; Turner Contemporary, Margate; NYLO, Reykjavik, and in June 2022 at Galleri F15 in Moss, Norway. Also in June, her 100-year artwork Future Library will celebrate the contributions of the last 3 writers to be commissioned and the opening of the Future Library room in the new Deichman Library in Oslo. A major new outdoor commission Mirage, for Apple’s headquarters at Cupertino in California, will be unveiled later this year. Katie Paterson has been represented by Ingleby since 2010.Follow Katie's journey on InstagramHosts: Farah Piriye, ZEITGEIST19 FoundationSign up for ZEITGEIST19's newsletter at https://www.zeitgeist19.comFor sponsorship enquiries, comments, ideas and collaborations, email us at [email protected] Follow us on Instagram and TwitterHelp us to continue our mission and to develop our podcast: Donate