The Anthropocene

The Anthropocene is a period of time during which human activities have impacted the environment enough to constitute a distinct geological change. It is a proposed geological epoch dating from the commencement of significant human impact on Earth’s geology and ecosystems, including, but not limited to, anthropogenic climate change.

The Anthropocene defines Earth’s most recent geologic time period as being human-influenced, or anthropogenic, based on overwhelming global evidence that atmospheric, geologic, hydrologic, biospheric and other earth system processes are now altered by humans.

The word combines the root “anthropo”, meaning “human” with the root “-cene”, the standard suffix for “epoch” in geologic time.

The Anthropocene Project

The Anthropocene Project is a multidisciplinary body of work combining fine art photography, film, virtual reality, augmented reality, and scientific research to investigate human influence on the state, dynamic, and future of the Earth. The artists Edward Burtynsky, Jennifer Baichwal and Nicholas de Pencier took part in this project, their way of exploring the concept of The Anthropocene.

Embracing and developing innovative techniques, the trio embarked on an epic journey around the world (to every continent save Antarctica) to capture the most spectacular evidence of human influence, while taking time to reflect on the deeper meaning of what these profound transformations signify.

The project, which launched in September 2018, includes:

-a major travelling museum exhibition that premiered simultaneously on September 28, 2018 at the Art Gallery of Ontario and National Gallery of Canada before travelling to its first European venue, Manifattura di Arti, Sperimentazione e Tecnologia (MAST) in Bologna in Spring 2019;

-a new release of Edward Burtynsky photographs

-a feature documentary film

-immersive interactive experiences in augmented and virtual reality

-an art book published by Steidl

-a comprehensive educational program