What do the arts have to do with the Earth’s climate?
To me, sustainability means…
grappling with the lifespans of objects and plans as well as with the long-term effects both of my personal decisions and of all the decisions we make as a society.
Climate change is relevant to the cultural world because…
it affects all human beings, all areas of life, and all living things. Climate change affects the cultural world in its day-to-day doings—”How can we tour sustainably? How can we do long-term planning in volatile times?”—and in art itself, since the challenges that the climate crisis poses for global society and the fears that arise from change are among those themes that artists address and grapple with.
Art can change the world by…
being physically, intellectually, emotionally, confusingly, humorously, provocatively, surprisingly, and confrontationally none other than itself, art. Which strikes me again and again as a radical, life-affirming, and anti-capitalist invitation to likewise simply be … myself, a human being. And even if I find this difficult to explain, I’m convinced that it’s changing the world.
Climate change makes itself noticed in my work as…
fears that I have to deal with and that subsequently find their way into my music. These fears and my strategies for dealing with them hence become audible in concerts, which leads me to end up communicating about this phenomenon with total strangers. And another case where climate change is present for me in my work is when students and children bring up the topic when I teach them.
My personal contribution to climate protection is…
to attend demonstrations and devote attention to how I might be able to help shape the political climate in Austria such that the long-term climate goals will be pursued and met. I’ve also observed how citizens who are paralysed by fear and frustration end up damaging democracy, which is why another component of my personal contribution is to deal with my own fears. And finally, I contribute to climate protection on the micro-level by reducing my air travel to a minimum and putting up with long train rides for international concerts.
For the future, I’d like…
world peace and the inner resources to come to terms with change.
In our series “What does art have to do with the Earth’s climate?” the “green mdw” initiative invites concerned individuals to speak out on their personal approaches to this issue. After all, the connections are obvious—or are they? Just how diverse are the perspectives from which mdw faculty members, students, administrators, alumni, and other active artists think about our climate, sustainability, and their own professional practice? Milly (Emilie) Groz is a Vienna-based pianist and rhythmist who works in jazz and improvised music. She also teaches improvisation at the mdw, heads our University’s Department of Music and Movement Education/Rhythmics and Music Physiology, and she’s now participating together with students in the inaugural edition of the climate festival “Klima Biennale Wien”, which runs until 14 July 2024.
