From 24 July 2021, UNU-FLORES and the Technische Sammlungen Dresden present: Sustainability Stories. The photography and video exhibition is the culmination of a global competition featuring perspectives on the state of sustainable development worldwide.
The degradation of natural resources represents one of the most critical environmental megatrends worldwide and is of great concern to the United Nations and its Member States. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development reflects this concern in a wide range of indicators across all 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
In a bid to explore the Resource Nexus and sustainability in images, UNU-FLORES and the Technische Sammlungen Dresden (TSD) invited both amateurs and professionals to submit photographs and videos in conjunction with the UN International Year of Creative Economy for Sustainable Development 2021. The competition received entries from more than 150 photographers and videographers from almost 40 countries, about three-quarters of which were from the Global South. The shortlisted contributions captured different perspectives on the Resource Nexus, particularly relating to agriculture, forests, circular economy, climate change, and biodiversity.
“The photo and video exhibits tell a story of action and advocacy for sustainable development. We hope that the wide range of perspectives featuring talents from the world over will continue to inspire visitors to the exhibition to reflect and take their own action for the planet,” says UNU-FLORES Director Prof. Edeltraud Guenther.
“The photographs and videos submitted from all over the world show that we are united by the consequences of the climate catastrophe and the overexploitation of natural resources, but also by the hope for a sustainable way of dealing with the riches of our planet,” adds TSD Director Roland Schwarz.
Until 26 September, the exhibition at the Technische Sammlungen Dresden displays the seven winning entries of the photo and video categories as well as fifteen shortlisted contributions.
- Roland Schwarz (Director, TSD), Prof. Edeltraud Guenther (Director, UNU-FLORES), and Andreas Völlings (Saxon State Ministry for Energy, Climate Protection, Environment and Agriculture, SMEKUL) inaugurated the exhibition as part of the Museums Night Dresden 2021 (Museumsnacht Dresden).
- The competition judging panel consisted of the award-winning photographer on sustainability Lucas Foglia, Roland Schwarz (Director, TSD), and Atiqah Fairuz Salleh (Communications & Advocacy Lead, UNU-FLORES).
The winners of the competition in the photo category are Alexej Sachov (Ukraine), Ziaul Huque (Bangladesh), and Iqro Rinaldi (Indonesia). The winners in the video category are Angie (Germany), Shriya Shruti Misra (India), Jean-Michel Rolland (France), and Uttam Kamati (India).
The exhibition complements the ongoing “Wolke 8. Das Klima und Wir” exhibition at the Technische Sammlungen Dresden and will also be part of the Umundu Festival (24–26 September) that takes a developmental look at the global phenomenon of climate change.
This initiative is supported by the Saxon State Ministry for Energy, Climate Protection, Environment and Agriculture (SMEKUL) within the Memorandum of Understanding with the United Nations University (UNU).
“Sustainability Stories” Photo and Video Exhibition
from 24 July 2021
Technische Sammlungen Dresden
Junghansstraße 1-3
01277 Dresden
Opening hours
Tuesday–Friday 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Saturday–Sunday 10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.
Media Enquiries
Atiqah Fairuz Salleh
Communications & Advocacy Lead, UNU-FLORES
Tel.: +49 351 8921 9387 Email: b.m.salleh@unu.edu | Ilja Almendinger
Technische Sammlungen Dresden
Tel.: +49 351 4887254 Email: ilja.almendinger@museen-dresden.de |
