Friday, March 19, 2021 — On Friday March 12, 2021, the OECS Commission, in collaboration with the German Development Cooperation (GIZ) and MeCurator Art Gallery, successfully launched an exciting virtual art exhibition entitled “Climate Change: An Eastern Caribbean Journey.”

The exhibition has its origins in a photo contest focusing on Human Mobility in the Context of Climate Change (HMCCC), organized by the OECS with the kind support of GIZ.

Photographers from the region, both amateurs and professionals, were challenged to submit intriguing images that explore the impact of Climate Change on the lives of Caribbean people. Ahead of the competition, some of the amateur photographers participated in a one-day training session conducted by prominent Saint Lucian photographer, Kirk Elliot.

The competition was eventually won by talented Yuri A. Jones from the Commonwealth of Dominica. However, it turned out to be more than a photo competition and evolved into a major awareness campaign to focus attention on the impacts of climate change and its effects on Human Mobility.

Following the competition, the plan was to organise a travelling exhibition starting in the winner’s country. However, the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic halted this plan and forced a more innovative approach— a virtual exhibition — which ultimately allowed for the inclusion of additional photographs, as well as other artwork from across the OECS region, while providing the opportunity to reach a wider audience.

The virtual exhibition was curated by Buki R. Cahane, founder of MeCurator Art Gallery. According to Cahane,

“This group art exhibit explores contemporary notions of climate change through an interconnected Eastern Caribbean perspective. This thematic schema is explored through the lens of the camera, as photography is the main art form in the exhibit.”

The OECS expresses gratitude to GIZ and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), for its continued support under the HMCCC programme, as well as to the artists, the curator, and all who made the exhibition a reality.

To access the virtual exhibition and to learn more about Human Mobility in the Context of Climate Change (HMCCC), visit https://www.oecs.org/climate-&-disaster-resilience/our-work/programmes-and-projects/hmccc.html.Biodiversity