Headline news from this week’s Republican National Convention included Donald Trump’s first public appearance since the recent assassination attempt, the former president’s running mate pick, and a meeting of the minds for the conservative-led Project 2025 plan. In protest, artist Annie Saunders also made headlines with an installation showcasing the effects of climate change and the greed of oil companies.
The performance-based art piece by Saunders was installed across six storefronts just a few blocks from the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee where the Republican party gathered to formally announce Trump as the GOP nominee. Saunders was brought on to the project spearheaded by Climate Power and Extreme Weather Survivors.
“Our apocalyptic dioramas are rooted in real stories from real survivors, to call out Big Oil and far-right extremists for their role in exacerbating the climate crisis,” Saunders shared in a statement. “This critical work is a clarion call to remind everyone how these extremists and their connections to the oil industry giants threaten our future.”
Behind each window is a scene depicting people, as actors, dealing with the aftermath of weather-related catastrophes. The sentiments on display were informed by interviews with actual people who experienced these type of disasters first-hand.
In one scene a man fusses with an air conditioner in a room seemingly designed for a child. Melted toy dollhouses and plastic play chairs and a glowing sun beaming into the room warn of the effects of extreme heat and air pollution—a scary reminder that comes after 2023 was crowned the hottest year on record since 1850.
Another scene depicts an office conference room where four heads are buried under a mound of sand. Saunders said in an interview with USA Today that this refers to the decisions of oil companies being made behind closed doors; the installation by Saunders recalls the phrase “they have their heads in the sand” meaning they are unwilling to acknowledge the situation at hand. On the wall a mounted screen plays scenes of traffic congestion and air pollution. In another storefront overturned file cabinets are dripping in black oil.
“By putting Big Oil’s corruption on full display, we’re confronting Republicans with scenes inspired by real-life damage caused by their disastrous policies and reminding voters about the catastrophic consequences for our environment and economy if we don’t keep far-right extremists out of office,” Climate Power senior advisor Alex Witt said.
To display flooding concerns, one storefront is occupied by a living room with overturned furniture, broken glass, and walls with visible water stains. An actor placed in the room looks around with visible anxiety and flips through stacks of insurance paperwork.
Outside each of the storefronts a digital ticker running across the top of the windows displays phrases and warnings to the public in line with the art piece and its messages. These phrases include: “Project 2025,” “Record Heat,” “Kids At Risk,” “Severe Weather,” and others.
