“What you seek is seeking you" this quote by Maulana Rumi suggests that when we have a true desire for something, the universe will conspire to fulfil it.
The current state of our planet is a serious cause of concern, with temperatures higher than they have been in 800,000 years and over one million species facing extinction. Climate change is also creating an enormous refugee crisis, so then why is climate concern not impacting how we live and consume? Do we need new methods of education and information sharing which is accessible, relatable and engages our new age audience?
Born in the Amazon rainforest in 2019, the project Seek is a discovery that aims to bridge the gap between scientific research and the dissemination of information on climate impacts . It is an experimental collaboration between humans and machines within a creative framework, using scientific data on a particular bird species, the purple Martin becomes a metaphoric representation drawing attention to the broader issue of global warming and its potentially dire consequences for our planet.
Through its artistic response to the urgent call for action on climate change, Seek aims to educate, inspire, and engage audiences in a dialogue about the future of our planet and the steps we can take to create a more sustainable world. Partner Scientists and Collaborating Institutions:
Joe Siegrist, -President/CEO, Purple Martin Conservation Association (PMCA); Dr. Mario Cohn-Haft, National Amazonian Research Institute; Dr. Erika Hingst Zaher, Butantan institute; Dr. Loren Buck, Northern Arizona University; Dr. Kevin Fraser, University of Manitoba and Dr. Jason Fischer, Disney Animals Science and Environment.
Faisal Anwar is a hybrid artist who works at the intersection of art, design, and technology to create awe-inspiring, data-driven interventions, interactive installations, internet art, NFTs, and Web 3.0. His work challenges conventional notions of space, time, memory, and human engagement in today's world. Anwar was the chief curator for the Karachi Biennial 2022, themed ‘Collective Imagination, Now and the Next’. He founded CultureLab.art, a studio investigating climate change, wellness, sustainability, emerging economies and social change. He is also a co-founder of ArtAddress, an artist-led collective that encourages creative ideas and dialogues.
Anwar's projects have been showcased globally in various galleries, museums, and festivals, including the Winter Olympics Vancouver 2010, Nuit-Blanche Festival Toronto 2008 to 2016, and the First Karachi Biennale 2017. His project CharBagh was presented at the 'Garden in the Machine' exhibition at the Surrey Art Gallery, Vancouver, in 2019, and 'Sensory Garden' at the Aga Khan Museum, Toronto, in 2016. His ongoing investigative project, Tweet Garden, was presented at the Contact Photography Festival at the Royal Ontario Museum in 2012, Art Gallery of Mississauga in 2014, and the TRED research and education conference at the University of Massachusetts Boston in 2014.
Anwar has received several awards for his work, including the Labverde Residency in the Amazon rainforest in 2019. In 2013, he was co-awarded the SSHRC Insight Development grant for his collaborative research project +City, and in 2007, his project 'Into it!' was selected for the Artist as Innovators Grant in the category of research for children with multiple disabilities by the CFC Media Lab, Banff Centre, and University of Toronto's Adaptive Technology Lab.
Anwar earned his Bachelor's degree in graphic design from the National College of Arts Lahore, Pakistan, and completed the Interactive Arts Program at the Canadian Film Centre's Habitat-LAB in 2004.
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