Research & Inspiration: Eco-Politics
As an artist living in the age of the climate crisis, one must weigh the environmental impact of material choices. When I first learned of the opportunity to submit a proposal for the 2025 London Biennial, I immediately began daydreaming of the possibilities. I wanted to create a project with eco-friendly materials. As an artist who often delves into the realm of politics, I thought: What better opportunity could there be to create a project that addresses climate change and draws attention to the beauty of the region where I live? Neihan Yaqoob, a local poet and fellow faculty member at VCUarts Qatar, and I began gathering research to share with our collaborators, Josh Rodenberg and Esther DeVeuve. Our early research explored the catastrophic consequences of climate change, including intense droughts, water scarcity, severe fires, rising sea levels, flooding, melting polar ice caps, storms and declining biodiversity.
One detail stood out in our research: ‘Scientists are predicting more intense weather because of climate change, but they are also predicting that one of the best defences against waves and floods is dying off’, highlighting coral reefs and their ability to act as natural buffers to coastal land, creating friction to slow down waves and prevent devastating damage to coastal communities’.
While many today are aware that coral reefs are in danger due to warming waters and mass bleaching events, most are unaware of the scientific efforts to restore and preserve these underwater ecosystems. Scientists worldwide are studying coral genetics in an effort to identify species that are more resilient to environmental stressors – knowledge scientists can use to inform selective breeding and efforts in the regeneration of coral colonies, thereby aiding the restoration of marine ecosystems.
One of our most compelling discoveries was that the corals in the Arabian Gulf are uniquely resilient to temperature fluctuations. These corals withstand annual temperature swings of up to 15 degrees Celsius – whereas corals elsewhere struggle with even a two-degree-Celsius shift. ‘What corals are able to handle here might be what corals around the world will have to deal with as the climate heats up further’, said Faisal Al Jailani, marine scientist at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology. ‘It’s extremely important to understand how these corals are able to withstand these conditions and try to apply it to other places around the world.’[1]
Research from the journal Nature Communications further underscores this resilience: ‘Corals in the Arabian/Persian Gulf endure summer temperatures of up to 36°C, making them ideal subjects to study the mechanisms underlying thermal tolerance.’[2] These resilient Arabian Gulf corals could be used to restore habitats worldwide; as Leticia Carvalho, head of the Marine and Freshwater Branch at the United Nations Environment Programme, has emphasised: ‘Restoring habitats gives nature a chance to adapt, and hopefully recover, from the climate change impacts we sadly can no longer avoid’.[3] This urgency led us to ask how we should engage people in the fight against climate change before it’s too late.
Production: Building the World of Dunes & Dugongs
The next challenge was to create a project that highlighted our region – Qatar and the wider Middle East – and spoke to a global audience. Climate change is a global issue, but how could we address regional concerns?
As the UN reminds us: ‘Because the Earth is a system where everything is connected, changes in one area can influence changes in all others.’[4] We chose to use sacred geometry as a design element in our installation. The tree of life symbolises the interconnectedness of life, including the direct consequences of climate change, such as intense droughts, water scarcity, rising sea levels and biodiversity loss.
An unexpected yet fitting concept emerged: using Dungeons & Dragons as a framework for storytelling. The game’s mechanics – player agency, problem-solving and world-building – provided a powerful metaphor for climate action. Just as Dungeons & Dragons relies on active participation to shape its narrative, addressing climate change requires engagement, strategy and collective effort.
Qatar’s shifting dunes became our landscape, and the dugong – a vulnerable marine species native to the region – became our mascot. The working title, Dunes and Dugongs, soon became the heartbeat of the project. Neihan naturally took on the role of Dungeon Master, weaving poetry into the experience as a form of immersive storytelling to guide participants through the complex realities of the climate crisis.
To bring our ideas to life, I secured a project space at Liwan Design Studios and Labs, while Esther arranged for knitting machines from VCUarts Qatar. Local artisans soon joined our efforts, volunteering to help mass-produce the soft sculptural elements. Our studio buzzed with energy as we built, tested and refined our work. Outside the studio, we documented Qatar’s natural landscapes, capturing footage of the Arabian Gulf reefs and sand dunes. These videos were layered and sometimes distorted in post-production, shifting between nature documentaries, commercial advertisements and dreamscapes. Neihan’s poetry narrates the story of humankind’s role in climate change, mimicking the stages of grief: denial, anger, depression and acceptance.
The Mission: A Call to Action
At its core Dunes and Dugongs is a story about resilience – not only of the Gulf’s corals but of communities uniting to confront urgent challenges. It is about acknowledging our mistakes, finding strength in collaboration and reimagining our role in shaping the future. Through this project we aim to create an interactive space where participants can observe the power of our corals, the impacts of climate change and engage with critical questions. By merging art, science and storytelling, we invite audiences to reflect – not just on the crisis at hand but on their own agency within it.
From the thunder of nerve-wracking obstacles
We rose
Up from that moment that broke our bones
We rose
We are a mighty coral, withstanding and alive,
Surviving and protecting we stand aside.
– ‘Still, We Rose’ by Neihan Yaqoob
