From microscopic algae that are provoking the acceleration of the melting of ice in the Alps to collecting morning dew in the Netherlands to drought in a pasture land region of Tunisia the winners of the 16th Coalition for Cultural Ecology Prize (COAL) were invited to explore the very vital theme of freshwater. « The COAL 2025 Prize dedicated to freshwater is a call to fight against the drying up of our sensitivities towards it, to elevate it to its rightful place at the heart of general attention, to rehabilitate it in its symbolic and sacred prerogatives, to consider it as the ally and partner of our existences. It’s also a call to protect it, to play our part in restoring its natural cycles, to repair places that have been damaged, in solidarity with those, human and non-human, who are irreparably affected, » explains the organization in a statement. 

COAL — the Coalition for a Cultural Ecology — mobilizes artists and actors on the cultural scene and raises awareness on environmental issues all the while supporting the emergence of a culture of ecology and biodiversity through its actions, notably the COAL prizes and the COAL student prize which were awarded in Paris last December 12th and the coalition’s event Sans Réserve (Unreserved) which invites the public to explore the potential of artistic practices to change the way we live on our planet Earth through a month-long exhibition and a series of conferences that is being held this year at France’s Museum of Hunting and Nature in the heart of Paris until January 11th. The works of the 10 finalists and three student finalists for the prizes are juxtaposed with works from the museum’s unique permanent collection. Round tables, guided tours and performances round out the agenda. https://projetcoal.org/en/

©Trish Valicenti for The Gourmet Gazette

Le Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature (the Museum of Hunting and Nature): 62 rue des Archives, 75003 Paris, France. +33 (0) 1 53 01 92 40. https://www.chassenature.org/en