Inauguration of the Fracked Gas Line Museum
With Occupy Museums, Sane Energy Project, and Guerrilla Girls
The New Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY
April 14, 2015
More information at whitneypipeline.org
The New Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY
April 14, 2015
More information at whitneypipeline.org
related:
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MoMA Occupations
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G.U.L.F. at Guggenheim
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More from inauguration of the fracked gas line museum
We stand in support of art as a necessity in the service of life, art as a social good, and art as common inheritance of the public.
Therefore, we cannot ignore when art museums allow the public good that art engenders to be misused by powerful corporations in an effort to build credibility when their activities create environmental damage and rights abuses. The sponsorship of art by the fossil fuel industry has long been a public relations ploy aimed at obtaining a social license for destructive profit-making.
With the new Whitney museum in New York, the public now has an example of a museum that literally incorporates fossil fuel infrastructure into its foundation. The vault of the controversial Spectra gas pipeline is concealed underneath the Whitney museum’s front steps.
Today we are asking: how can a museum that literally covers up the dirty fossil fuel industry be a beacon for the future of art and culture? This summer, we will host a public assembly in the neighborhood of the new Whitney, and hope that representatives of the museum will be present and active in this important dialogue on art and fossil fuels.
The Whitney museum can make active choices now to be a force for good on the right side of history for the future of New York and the planet, for a culture beyond fossil fuels.
CURATORIAL TEAM
Tal Beery (Occupy Museums/Best Praxis) | Owen Crowley (Occupy the Pipeline) Clare Donohue (Sane Energy Project) | Kim Fraczek (Sane Energy Project/Occupy the Pipeline) | Noah Fischer (Occupy Museums) | Michele Fox (Occupy the Pipeline) | Susanne Ikekpolor (Occupy the Pipeline) | Frida Kahlo (Guerilla Girls) | Minister Erik McGregor (Photography) | Jessica Roff (Catskill Mountainkeeper)
Special thanks to the Illuminator
Therefore, we cannot ignore when art museums allow the public good that art engenders to be misused by powerful corporations in an effort to build credibility when their activities create environmental damage and rights abuses. The sponsorship of art by the fossil fuel industry has long been a public relations ploy aimed at obtaining a social license for destructive profit-making.
With the new Whitney museum in New York, the public now has an example of a museum that literally incorporates fossil fuel infrastructure into its foundation. The vault of the controversial Spectra gas pipeline is concealed underneath the Whitney museum’s front steps.
Today we are asking: how can a museum that literally covers up the dirty fossil fuel industry be a beacon for the future of art and culture? This summer, we will host a public assembly in the neighborhood of the new Whitney, and hope that representatives of the museum will be present and active in this important dialogue on art and fossil fuels.
The Whitney museum can make active choices now to be a force for good on the right side of history for the future of New York and the planet, for a culture beyond fossil fuels.
CURATORIAL TEAM
Tal Beery (Occupy Museums/Best Praxis) | Owen Crowley (Occupy the Pipeline) Clare Donohue (Sane Energy Project) | Kim Fraczek (Sane Energy Project/Occupy the Pipeline) | Noah Fischer (Occupy Museums) | Michele Fox (Occupy the Pipeline) | Susanne Ikekpolor (Occupy the Pipeline) | Frida Kahlo (Guerilla Girls) | Minister Erik McGregor (Photography) | Jessica Roff (Catskill Mountainkeeper)
Special thanks to the Illuminator
event program
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THE NEW WHITNEY MUSEUM AND FOSSIL FUELS
OPEN LETTER
We stand in support of art as a necessity in the service of life, art as a social good, and art as common inheritance of the public.
Therefore, we cannot ignore when art museums allow the public good that art engenders to be misused by powerful corporations in an effort to build credibility when their activities create environmental damage and rights abuses. The sponsorship of art by the fossil fuel industry has long been a public relations ploy aimed at obtaining a social license for destructive profit-making.
Citizens and institutions worldwide are withdrawing support for the continued extraction of fossil fuels that should be kept in the ground. In arts and culture, from London to New York to Sydney, momentum is building for museums to end their connections to the fossil fuel industry. In the UK, artists including Liberate Tate are calling for Tate to culturally divest from the oil company BP. Recently, dozens of leading scientists signed a letter initiated by The Natural History Museum, to remove climate change underwriter David Koch from the board of science museums, and for science museums to cut ties to the fossil fuel industry.
With the new Whitney museum in New York, the public now has an example of a museum that literally incorporates fossil fuel infrastructure into its foundation. The vault of the controversial Spectra gas pipeline is concealed underneath the Whitney museum’s front steps.
The Spectra pipeline is a high-pressure pipeline that brings fracked gas from Pennsylvania and elsewhere to New York City. Should an accident occur, the result could be irreparable harm to the museum, its art collection, workers, and visitors.
Though proponents of “natural” gas promote fracking as a relatively harmless process and claim that gas burns clean, the overall extraction process of fracking has a climate impact comparable to coal. The fracking process pollutes drinking water, creates harmful emissions, and causes earthquakes.
Today we are asking: how can a museum that literally covers up the dirty fossil fuel industry be a beacon for the future of art and culture? This summer, we will host a public assembly in the neighborhood of the new Whitney, and hope that representatives of the museum will be present and active in this important dialogue on art and fossil fuels.
We have Six Key Questions for the Whitney. The people of New York have a right to know the answers to pressing questions before the Whitney opens the doors of its new location.
The Whitney museum can make active choices now to be a force for good on the right side of history for the future of New York and the planet, for a culture beyond fossil fuels.
Occupy Museums
Occupy the Pipeline
Sane Energy Project
Liberate Tate
Peng Collective
Stopp oljesponsing av norsk kulturliv
The Yes Lab
Not An Alternative
The Natural History Museum
United for Action
Global Ultra Luxury Faction
Guerrilla Girls
People’s Puppets
Rising Tide NYC
NYC Light Brigade
Beyond Extreme Energy
The Mother’s Project
Climate Mama
Shale Property Rights
NYC Bike Dance
Catskill Mountainkeeper
Environmental Action
Stop Penn East
Bronx Climate Justice North
Therefore, we cannot ignore when art museums allow the public good that art engenders to be misused by powerful corporations in an effort to build credibility when their activities create environmental damage and rights abuses. The sponsorship of art by the fossil fuel industry has long been a public relations ploy aimed at obtaining a social license for destructive profit-making.
Citizens and institutions worldwide are withdrawing support for the continued extraction of fossil fuels that should be kept in the ground. In arts and culture, from London to New York to Sydney, momentum is building for museums to end their connections to the fossil fuel industry. In the UK, artists including Liberate Tate are calling for Tate to culturally divest from the oil company BP. Recently, dozens of leading scientists signed a letter initiated by The Natural History Museum, to remove climate change underwriter David Koch from the board of science museums, and for science museums to cut ties to the fossil fuel industry.
With the new Whitney museum in New York, the public now has an example of a museum that literally incorporates fossil fuel infrastructure into its foundation. The vault of the controversial Spectra gas pipeline is concealed underneath the Whitney museum’s front steps.
The Spectra pipeline is a high-pressure pipeline that brings fracked gas from Pennsylvania and elsewhere to New York City. Should an accident occur, the result could be irreparable harm to the museum, its art collection, workers, and visitors.
Though proponents of “natural” gas promote fracking as a relatively harmless process and claim that gas burns clean, the overall extraction process of fracking has a climate impact comparable to coal. The fracking process pollutes drinking water, creates harmful emissions, and causes earthquakes.
Today we are asking: how can a museum that literally covers up the dirty fossil fuel industry be a beacon for the future of art and culture? This summer, we will host a public assembly in the neighborhood of the new Whitney, and hope that representatives of the museum will be present and active in this important dialogue on art and fossil fuels.
We have Six Key Questions for the Whitney. The people of New York have a right to know the answers to pressing questions before the Whitney opens the doors of its new location.
- How did the Whitney come to be sited over the Spectra pipeline and its fracked gas?
- What emergency plans are in place, including
- how will people and artworks be kept safe and protected if the pipeline explodes, and
- as the Whitney must be aware of how lax the maintenance and inspection rules are for pipelines, what independent risk mitigation action has it taken?
- Given that the Whitney now sits on fossil fuel infrastructure, is the art museum committed to exhibit art that explores themes such as the environment, energy, and how corporations operate in society?
- Will the Whitney ensure that its art education, public and academic programs explore issues such as climate change and the role of art in relation to a safe, habitable environment for Americans and, indeed, all humankind?
- Does the Whitney believe the energy future of New York should be renewable sources rather than more reliance on fossil fuels that will add to climate change?
- Will the Whitney move forward with new environmental and ethics policies to enable it to play a responsible leadership role in the art world and sustainability in a time of climate change, including full independence from fossil fuel interests?
The Whitney museum can make active choices now to be a force for good on the right side of history for the future of New York and the planet, for a culture beyond fossil fuels.
Occupy Museums
Occupy the Pipeline
Sane Energy Project
Liberate Tate
Peng Collective
Stopp oljesponsing av norsk kulturliv
The Yes Lab
Not An Alternative
The Natural History Museum
United for Action
Global Ultra Luxury Faction
Guerrilla Girls
People’s Puppets
Rising Tide NYC
NYC Light Brigade
Beyond Extreme Energy
The Mother’s Project
Climate Mama
Shale Property Rights
NYC Bike Dance
Catskill Mountainkeeper
Environmental Action
Stop Penn East
Bronx Climate Justice North
selected press
The New York Times: Before Its Opening, the Whitney Museum Faces a Protest
By Melena Ryzik
Hyperallergic: Art Protest Groups Join Forces for Guerrilla Ribbon-cutting at New Whitney Museum
by Hrag Vartanian
Gothamist: Protestors: Whitney’s New “1% Museum” Is Perilously Close To Fracked Gas Pipeline by Nick Pinto
Artforum: Activists Protest Gas Pipeline Under Whitney Museum’s New Site
Brooklyn Culture Jammers: Destroying priceless art the Western Way
Blouinartinfo: Protesters Target New Whitney, Snowden Bust May Return, and More
by Anneliese Cooper
Popular Resistance: Whitney Museum Protested Over Gas Pipeline Under Building
The Indypendent: Activists Launch Campaign Against the Whitney’s Connection to Spectra Pipeline Indy Blog (reprinting from Popular Resistance)
By Melena Ryzik
Hyperallergic: Art Protest Groups Join Forces for Guerrilla Ribbon-cutting at New Whitney Museum
by Hrag Vartanian
Gothamist: Protestors: Whitney’s New “1% Museum” Is Perilously Close To Fracked Gas Pipeline by Nick Pinto
Artforum: Activists Protest Gas Pipeline Under Whitney Museum’s New Site
Brooklyn Culture Jammers: Destroying priceless art the Western Way
Blouinartinfo: Protesters Target New Whitney, Snowden Bust May Return, and More
by Anneliese Cooper
Popular Resistance: Whitney Museum Protested Over Gas Pipeline Under Building
The Indypendent: Activists Launch Campaign Against the Whitney’s Connection to Spectra Pipeline Indy Blog (reprinting from Popular Resistance)
