Disruption - Environmental Pacific Stories

Auckland Festival of Photography presents a selection of work by an esteemed NZ photojournalist, Jocelyn Carlin (d) 2017). Jocelyn's extensive work in the Pacific covered environmental, climate change impacts from the mid 2000s, the Festival is delighted to present this outdoor selection of her groundbreaking work as part of this year's Disruption [raruraru] theme.

Environmental Stories From the Pacific Region, was shot over several visits to the islands of Kiribati and Tuvalu. Both nations are subject to the threat of climate change. Climate change in Tuvalu is particularly threatening for the long-term habitability of the island state. This is because the average height of the islands is less than 2 metres (6.6 ft) above sea level, with the highest point of Niulakita being about 4.6 metres (15 ft) above sea level. In a world experiencing stress on our natural eco, weather and environmental-related systems, and with impacts on socio-economic and geopolitical world order due to the troubling cross over of the climate crisis with Covid, what is the photographers' and artists' role in articulating these issues both here in New Zealand and globally? What are the other disruptive influences and elements on our society?

During the 2010 Festival's Talking Culture Symposium on Climate Change, Jocelyn presented a talk and was part of a panel of key artists engaging with an unfolding crisis over a decade ago. Kiribati, is the first country rising sea levels will swallow up as a result of climate change.

Thank you Neil Hannan for permission to share this work.