hughen/starkweather: climate empathy project - miami
Climate Empathy Project, site-specific abstract artworks about locations impacted by climate change and human intervention, is the focus of the artist collaboration Hughen/Starkweather. Incorporating extensive research including source maps, photographs, data, and oral histories, the resulting artworks reinterpret complex narratives of the past, present, and future.
During their residency at Local Language Hughen/Starkweather focused on the experience of a Miami resident who fled Hurricane Irma and its aftermath in 2017. Text excerpts of the interview along with maps of evacuation routes and Irma’s path were carved and printed on fabrics and wood via Local Language’s digital technology. Hughen/Starkweather then added handwork including fabric staining, drawing and painting to push the artwork beyond the scientific research and convey the complex challenges of areas and individuals directly impacted by climate events.