Media

Weather and the Whale, introductory wall

A deep teal wall carries the title “Weather and the Whale” in a hand-drawn frame, beside a long white map of the Americas traced from Alaska to the tip of Chile, migration routes marked along the coast. Wall text: “The exhibition draws on the rich histories of storytelling inspired by whales across times, cultures, and geographies to promote climate justice. Haida stories of Sgáana, the big fish who swim between earthly and spiritual realms; Abrahamic biblical passages where Jonah is swallowed by a whale; or Herman Melville’s Moby Dick, the ubiquitous US novel—these reveal how whales and the stories they carry permeate belief systems, cultures, economies, and ideas of nationhood. They have also impacted the creatures themselves. Monstrous imaginings of whales normalized their mass slaughter for oil. Recordings of whale songs have rallied broad support for their conservation. Yet, whales—and indeed the entire globe—remain at risk from ongoing climate destruction.” Through the doorway, a red reading room lined with books.
Title
Weather and the Whale, introductory wall
Description
Introductory wall text and map at the entrance to Weather and the Whale, Institute of the Arts and Sciences, UC Santa Cruz, 2025–26.
Creator
Institute of the Arts and Sciences, UC Santa Cruz
Rights
Rights held by artist or creator

Part of Weather and the Whale