Laser show highlights rising seas

An Ardfern artist has created a massive art installation along her local shoreline to draw attention to the dangers of rising sea-levels.

Born in Oban, Lizzie Rose has always used the Argyll landscape as the focus for her art, but now she has gone one step further and embedded her work, literally, in the sea.

The artist has installed 21 posts, right, representing the year 2100, that should remain 30cm above the high tides at the moment. However climate scientists have predicted that by 2100 global sea level is very likely to rise by that same 30cm. Solar-powered laser projections will light up the skies around Ardfern during the two weeks of the COP26 UN Climate Conference from 6pm to 6.30pm Monday to Thursday.

Lizzie explained the thought process that led to her creating this new piece of art.

‘I wanted to do something to connect with COP26 in Glasgow.

‘It’s just down the road, but it feels quite disconnected from here. I wanted to highlight the fact that sea levels are rising. As a coastal community this will affect us dramatically, for instance, will our road still be usable?’ Lizzie added she wanted to thank her friends and neighbours who had helped with the installation, which runs the length of the shore from Barfad to the motorhome park. She added: ‘We can’t change the past but we can change what we do now.

‘There are many possible futures that depend on the actions we take now.

‘We can make a choice about how we act individually and demand change from our governments.’

Credits: SOC79 artwork by Lizzie Rose, Artist in conversation with Emma Davie, Director of Black Black Oil in collaboration with Hannah Tofts Artist/Designer, Plastic Sea and Matt Walsh Sound and Lighting Production.

‘I wanted to highlight the fact sea levels are rising. As a coastal community this will affect us dramatically, for instance, will our road still be useable?’