WE ARE THE ASTEROID

We Are the Asteroid is a large-scale art installation that focuses on climate issues in general and the ongoing sixth mass extinction in particular. On display is a three-dimensional asteroid with a diameter of around six metres in a cube-shaped scaffolding construction; this memorial to destruction not only embodies a space of lack of solidarity, but also uses texts and graphics to address fundamental questions about our lives and economic activity. The content of the project is based on an analogy between the effects of humans on the earth and an asteroid impact that led to the extinction of the dinosaurs 66 million years ago. The climate consequences of that event are now being caused by the actions of people in industrialised nations. Globally, 70% of wild animal populations have disappeared in the last 50 years. Globally, humans and their livestock now account for over 95% of the biomass of all existing mammals. According to a United Nations report on biodiversity, around one million species will be threatened with extinction in the next two decades. This corresponds to around 10% of all species and an irreversible loss of 150 animal and plant species every day. The installation We Are the Asteroid addresses this fundamental lack of solidarity between humans and nature and non-human living beings, as well as future generations. Accompanying information panels convey these central problems of our time and raise questions about how we can repair our relationship with future generations and our environment and show solidarity with them. Thomas Medicus is a visual artist based in Innsbruck. He is best known for his anamorphic cubes, but also works in other fields such as illustration, animation, digital art, stained glass, restoration and conservation, and public art. He studied social work at MCI Innsbruck before attending the glass school in Kramsach, where he later obtained the title of master glazier. In addition to his work as a freelance artist, he was employed by the Tyrolean glass painting company for seven years before becoming self-employed in 2021. www.thomasmedicus.at