The message of the exhibition, which was officially opened on the International Biodiversity Day on May 22, is to introduce visitors to species threatened by climate change. The exhibition was prepared by BROZ in cooperation with Slovak artists as part of the Game On museum overlayering activity.
The paintings and illustrations distributed in the Bratislava Zoo were created by ten illustrators and street artists from Slovakia, most of whom were created in front of the visitors directly in the Bratislava Zoo. Well-known and lesser-known domestic and exotic species of animals were selected for the exhibition, among which a whale painting of almost 4 meters dominates.
"I'm fascinated by nature, so it's a joy to paint," says illustrator Kristína Novosadová, who drew the European bee-eater, a migratory bird species that fly thousands of kilometres between Europe and Africa every year.
Scientists' reports about the state of our planet are not positive at all. At the current rate of greenhouse gas emissions, we will exceed the imaginary "safe" warming limit of 1.5C by 2050 or sooner, with far-reaching consequences for society and nature around the world. It is expected that up to a third of plant and animal species will not be able to keep pace with these rapid changes and are waiting to become extinct.
"In this way, we want to draw the attention of ZOO visitors to the fact that nature around the world is no longer able to cope with the pressure we are putting on it. We believe that the exhibition will attract visitors and also inspire a change in attitude,” explains Adriana Brossmannová project manager from BROZ.
Scientists have already documented a number of species whose recent extinction is a direct result of climate change or whose survival is hanging by a thread. Since the year 2000, more than 40 of the 100 known species of colourful Harlequin frogs inhabiting the forests of South America have been missing due to climate change. After 2040, we will only see the diverse coral reefs full of life only in old documentaries, because they will not be able to cope with the advancing warming of the oceans. Visitors to the Bratislava Zoo can get acquainted with the stories of these and other species struggling to survive in a rapidly changing world through an exhibition until October 2022.