Climate Connections

Understanding the climate crisis requires integrating knowledge from various fields to grasp its complex causes and far-reaching effects. By merging these perspectives, we gain a holistic understanding of the crisis and can develop more effective, multifaceted strategies to mitigate and adapt to its challenges. This integrated approach fosters collaboration, innovation, and more informed decision-making and public understanding, which are essential for tackling one of the most urgent issues of our time.Beginning with this first issue of Volume 58, we introduce a new FOCUS section to explore topics from several perspectives illuminating the possibilities of new trajectories of understanding. This issue’s FOCUS feature centers around climate and the role of engaging art and interactive insights to elevate environmental awareness, an imperative topic as we grapple with the escalating climate crisis. These thought-provoking essays collectively underscore the integral role of creative cross-disciplinary practice in fostering environmental awareness.In “Scientists as ‘Specialist Audience,’ ” Nathan Jones and Daphne Dragona examine how artists can engage with scientific audiences, particularly highlighting an experiment in which scientists experienced contemporary art as research environments. This transformative engagement allowed them to uncover new insights and interpretations, bridging the gap between scientific inquiry and artistic expression.Yiyun Kang and Jeanyoon Choi’s work is highlighted in “Passage of Water: Artistic Exploration of Earth’s Freshwater,” which showcases a collaboration with Google Arts & Culture and NASA. Through the immersive audiovisual project Passage of Water, the authors emphasize the importance of freshwater amid the climate crisis, launching an interactive web artwork that debuted at COP28 in Dubai.In “Responsivity and Responsibility in Responsive Environments,” Joshua Wodak revisits the late-twentieth-century artform that emphasized the interplay between artist, audience, and the environment. This reflective piece challenges us to reconsider our roles in an era marked by ecological upheaval, urging a deeper understanding of our responsibilities amidst the climate crisis.Concluding this volume is an insightful piece by Jody Deming, a marine biologist and a founding member of the Ocean Memory Project. Her reflections highlight the profound potential of cross-disciplinary collaboration between artists and scientists through the elegant yet critical question—“Can the ocean be thought of as having a memory?”As we launch into 2025, we invite you to engage with these scholars and their innovative approaches that not only inform but also inspire collective action for our planet. Welcome to the FOCUS section of Leonardo 58:1—because every new beginning is an opportunity for deeper understanding and impactful change.