LIVINGSTON MANOR, NY — Catskill Art Space (CAS) will host an Earth Day symposium, “Creatives Respond to the Climate Crisis,” on Saturday, April 26 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on the second floor of its River Galleries, 48 Main St. 

Artists Lauren Daccache, Paul D. Miller (aka DJ Spooky), Elizabeth Orr, Eleanor White and architect Mitchell Joachim of Terreform ONE (Open Network Ecology) will take part in an Earth Day-inspired discussion moderated by artist and writer Hovey Brock. They will address how their practices engage with the climate crisis.

Joachim and Miller will talk about their Venice Biennale collaboration, which incorporates music and architecture on the theme of kelp, a macroalgae whose forests are foundational to ocean ecology. They’ll discuss the theoretical and applied dimensions of living architecture, biomorphic urbanism and the implications of synthetic ecologies, speculating on how these frameworks might inform the future of climate-responsive cities and planetary stewardship.

Daccache, Orr and White will discuss their work, which explores art and international waste management, the destructive side of the move to the “green” technology of lithium batteries and the impact of supply chains on the planet, and more.

The presentations will be followed by a Q&A with the audience. After the session, all are invited to join Daccache, Orr and White in the first-floor galleries to answer questions about their art on the closing day of their exhibitions.

About the artists

Lauren Daccache is a Lebanese-American visual artist raised in the United States and Beirut, Lebanon. She primarily focuses on long-term, image-based projects that explore the impact of time and age on people and places and the tension it creates between personal and collective memory. Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally and featured in multiple publications. 

Elizabeth Orr lives and works in New York and Livingston Manor. She has taken part in various residency programs, including EMPAC at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy; Real-Time & Space in Oakland, CA; and Recess in New York City. She is on the board of KAJE, Brooklyn, NY.

Eleanor White is based in the Hudson Valley. Her work has been included in myriad exhibitions, including at Kenise Barnes Fine Art. Her work is included in the Montefiore Fine Art Program, the Deutsche Bank Art Collection and in many private collections.

Michell Joachim is the cofounder of Terreform ONE and Professor of Practice at NYU. Formerly, he worked as an architect at the professional offices of Frank Gehry, Moshe Safdie, and I.M. Pei. He has won many awards, including a Fulbright Scholarship, NEA Grant for Arts Projects, Fast Company Design of the Year and Time Magazine Best Invention. 

Paul D. Miller, aka DJ Spooky, is currently artist in residence at Yale University Center for Collaborative Arts and Media (2023-2024, extended). He is a composer, multimedia artist and writer whose work engages audiences in a blend of genres, global culture, and environmental and social issues.