In late 2020, a creative proposal developed by Michu Benaim Steiner on behalf of In-House International was selected to be part of COUNTDOWN, a global art action by Fine Acts and TED Conferences, to champion and accelerate solutions to the climate crisis.
The action happened worldwide, spanning 10 cities on 3 continents, with 10 public artworks created by TED Fellows artist teams (studio partner Lope Gutierrez-Ruiz is a TED Fellow) — launching on 10.10.20.
Led by Michu, the design team at the studio developed a number of graphic solutions playing with experimental typography (including one with our beloved Troptical typeface), and we settled on a clear, concise message:
Change the World
Change Climate Change.
Change Climate Change.
The mural depicts a nature scene with plants, leaves, water and fish — but including a hidden message made possible using new technologies: the mural changes colors depending on climate temperature! We used (in what we believe is the first-time application ever) a thermo-chromic paint usually applied to cars, which reacts to the degree or intensity of heat present in its canvas, in our case, a west-facing wall in Austin, TX.
The experimental paint, developed by Atlanta Chemical Company reacts to a tipping point of 77° Fahrenheit / 25° Celsius. When temperatures stay below that threshold the mural displays a placid nature scene — but when temperatures go above it, a number of disturbing signs typical of our human negligence around climate change slowly appear: engulfing flames, trash, dead birds, dead fish; illustrating how climate change is reshaping life on our planet.
Mural was entirely painted by hand, using no sprays with chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) or volatile organic compounds (VOCs), as making the world a better place begins with committing to changing climate change, one decision at a time.
Special thanks to Carlos Castro Lugo for the great illustration work, Alexander Wright for typography treatment and Kimmie Flores for her kick-ass muralist work.
Reactions on social media and in the city of Austin, surpassed our expectations, with mural images shared repeatedly. The mural was slated to come down / be repainted in early 2020, but reaction has been so positive that it has now been extended indefinitely!
#JoinTheCountdown and change the world!
