Edward Burtynsky, Jennifer Baichwal And Nicholas De Pencier

The renowned artists discuss The Anthropocene Project, which looks athumanimpact on the Earths geology.

- Catherine Mckenna

Is it possible that people now have more influence over the Earth than all its natural systems combined? Some scientists who study the planet’s geological epochs are sure it is. They call this new era of human impact the Anthropocene. It’s the subject of a new multimedia project by three renowned Canadian artists: photographer Edward Burtynsky and documentary filmmakers Jennifer Baichwal and Nicholas de Pencier. (The trio previously collaborated on two documentaries, 2006’s Manufactured Landscapes and 2013’s Watermark.) The Anthropocene Project includes multimedia gallery exhibits at Toronto’s Art Gallery of Ontario and Ottawa’s National Gallery of Canada, a documentary film and a book, all of which follow a group of scientists dedicated to defining this geological period. The artists hope that by engaging people in these forms, they can make them think more deeply about the planet’s future.

On the origins of The Anthropocene Project