Thicker Than Water: On Sinking Islands and Climate Change

EVENT

Thicker Than Water: On Sinking Islands and Climate Change

28.10.2021, 19:00–21:00 

Tropical islands play a large role in our imagination. As far and distant lands, they have been the ideal location for projecting fantasies of discovery, survival and paradisal bliss. In reality, however, many small island nations in the Pacific know a history of violence: from colonization, to being the location of military bases, nuclear testing and immigrations centres. Conveniently far away–both in distance and our imagination–it is easy to ignore the emergency many small island nations our facing now. Due to climate change and rising sea-levels whole countries are quite literally disappearing. And with the disappearance of land comes the disappearance of entire cultures and ways of being.

Join us on 28 October for an evening in which editor-in-chief Irene de Craen will talk about the drawings of sinking islands that run through the second issue of Errant Journal, entitled Slow Violence. These drawings were a way of thinking and part of the process of doing research for the journal, while simultaneously addressing the politics of representation of climate change. Additionally we will watch a conversation with activist Maina Talia,  contributor to Errant Journal. Talia is from the island Vaitupu in Tuvalu and has been an international spokesperson for his country and others facing the same threat due to climate change. The conversation with Maina Talia will be shown together with a presentation of the drawings and Errant Journal.