Climate Action

Counterpublic is developing a climate impact strategy emphasizing low carbon and waste practices that support the health and safety of our community while modeling new ways of working for public art and exhibition-making organizations.

St. Louis exists at the intersection of interrelated climate crises. The region is at high risk for extreme weather like tornadoes, flooding, and excessive heatwaves that will increase as carbon pollution continues to build up greenhouse gases in our atmosphere. Like many issues, St. Louis being positioned at the center of the continent causes effects to appear more clearly here than anywhere. When combined with the racial and economic inequalities that exacerbate these risks, climate change poses perhaps the most pressing challenge of our time.

These factors also directly impact the exhibition. Climate related weather events caused us to change our season for the exhibition from spring/summer to fall, following two opening weekends in 2019 and 2023 marked with significant damage from tornadoes and subsequent extreme heat waves. In May 2025 in preparation for this exhibition, the region’s most destructive storm in decades hit some of our primary focus areas and partners, where rebuilding will be ongoing for years. Climate is an area of action now towards mitigation and resilience, but must be a long-term vision as well.

For the Counterpublic 2026 edition, we identified climate impact focus areas and key climate initiatives to prioritize. We will share our process and findings with the field by publishing a climate impact report. In the process, we hope to role model what it can look like for biennials and triennials to reimagine the role of art in facing these challenges.

• Artwork and Site Production
• Communications, Storytelling, and Visitor Experience
• Tracking, Reporting, and Accounting

Each of these areas have specific goals and key performance indicator targets outlined.

• Climate-related Artist Commissions
• Sustainable Exhibition Sites
• Zero Carbon Visitor Days
• Climate Roadmap Publication for Exhibitions