How Can Museums Use Art to Tackle the Climate Crisis?

In June 2022, Moderna Museet in Stockholm embarked on a bold journey to explore the intersection of art, food, and the climate crisis. Collaborating with Turner Prize-winning artist Jeremy Deller, the museum created a memorable project during Stockholm+50, a high-level environmental summit hosted by the Swedish and Kenyan governments. The event featured a striking art intervention: the distribution of specially crafted climate-friendly energy bars to delegates and the public, as well as a “future food” lunch for schoolchildren across the city.

This innovative project, titled God Grön (Good Green), aimed to inspire conversation and action around the environmental impact of food choices. Through this initiative, Moderna Museet demonstrated how museums can serve as platforms for engaging audiences with urgent global issues in unexpected and impactful ways.

Using Art to Highlight the Environmental Significance of Food

The roots of God Grön can be traced back to Ylva Hillström, Learning Curator at Moderna Museet, and her long-standing interest in the role of art in fostering sustainability. Hillström drew inspiration from projects like Jeremy Deller’s “We’re Here Because We’re Here,” which transformed public spaces into poignant sites of remembrance. Building on these ideas, Hillström envisioned an art project that would resonate with Stockholm+50’s focus on the ecological crisis.

Despite limited time and resources, the museum secured Deller’s involvement and conceptualised God Grön as a public-facing intervention highlighting the environmental significance of food. As Hillström explains, “Food is key to stabilising the climate and preserving biodiversity. Small changes in global eating habits can yield significant benefits for our planet.”

What made the energy bars a work of art?

The centrepiece of the project was the creation of energy bars made with sugar kelp—a sustainable, nutrient-dense ingredient sourced from the Nordic Sea. Designed as “edible sculptures,” the bars were not only a nod to innovative food solutions but also a reflection of Deller’s artistic vision. The wrappers featured kelp-inspired patterns and QR codes directing recipients to more information about the project on Moderna Museet’s website.

The energy bars were handed out across Stockholm, including at the Stockholm+50 conference, central station, universities, and public spaces. Museum staff, volunteers, and members of the museum’s youth advisory board donned God Grön-themed T-shirts as they distributed the bars, fostering a sense of connection and curiosity among recipients.

Sustainability, Art and Schools

To complement the public intervention, God Grön introduced a “future food” lunch to thousands of schoolchildren across Stockholm. Collaborating with local chefs and the Moderna Museet Restaurant, the museum developed a menu that included falafel made from Swedish yellow peas, oat rice, sugar kelp pesto, and insect granola featuring mealworm protein.

Ahead of the lunch, Deller shared a video message with students, encouraging them to approach the unconventional meal with an open mind and view it as an opportunity to consider how food choices shape the planet’s future. The response from students was mixed but enthusiastic, with one young participant describing the insect granola as tasting “like Dorito dust, which means it was good.”

What challenges did the project face?

While the project achieved many of its goals, it also encountered challenges. A shipment of sample energy bars was lost in transit, impacting the project’s planned social media campaign. Additionally, both God Grön and the Stockholm+50 summit struggled to gain the level of media attention the organisers had hoped for.

Reflecting on the experience, Hillström noted that stronger communication strategies could have amplified the project’s impact. Despite these hurdles, she emphasised the importance of taking risks and learning from the process, stating, “Better to reach for the stars than to give up.”

What lessons can museums take from mixing art and sustainability?

God Grön exemplifies how museums can use art to tackle complex global challenges while engaging diverse audiences. By combining creativity with collaboration, Moderna Museet demonstrated the power of using public art to spark dialogue and action. The project’s documentation—including energy bars, posters, and T-shirts—is now part of the museum’s collection, preserving its legacy and serving as an inspiration for future initiatives.

For museum professionals, God Grön offers valuable insights into the potential of art to address pressing issues like climate change. It challenges us to think beyond traditional exhibitions and embrace innovative, interdisciplinary approaches that invite audiences to connect with important themes in meaningful ways.

So, what’s next for museums and sustainability? Perhaps it’s time to start thinking outside the gallery walls—and onto the plates of our audiences.

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Ylva Hillström, Learning Curator at Moderna Museet spoke about God Grön at the Green Museums Summit 2023.