Xavier Cortada: Climate Science Art
A solo exhibition at the National Academy of Sciences
2101 Constitution Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C
July 10 – December 31, 2024
Welcome to the virtual exhibition of “Xavier Cortada: Climate Science Art,” presented by the Cultural Programs of the National Academy of Sciences. This exhibition showcases the transformative work of Miami-based artist Xavier Cortada, whose art spans from Miami-Dade County, Florida, to the North and South Poles, highlighting his commitment to addressing global climate change.
The exhibition features Cortada’s renowned project, “The Underwater,” a community-led initiative that uses public art installations to raise awareness about sea level rise. This initiative includes yard signs, street intersection murals, and sustainable concrete markers, each revealing South Florida’s elevation and sparking crucial conversations about climate action. Visitors to this virtual space can explore the journey of “The Underwater,” from its inception to its widespread impact across Miami-Dade County.
Additionally, delve into Cortada’s polar art projects, where his expeditions to the North and South Poles inspired a series of works that emphasize global interconnectedness and environmental stewardship. This section includes performance art, temporary installations, and unique ice paintings, all created with natural elements from these remote regions.
The Creative Journey of Xavier Cortada
The artistic process, like the scientific process, is a journey where each project or experiment is informed by the one before it. The works in this gallery are a sample of the many projects Xavier Cortada has created to connect the public with the realities of climate change. Cortada’s journey to the Earth’s poles heightened his desire to pivot his existing social practice to address the climate crisis. These polar works are the precursor to The Underwater series which helps people act on what Cortada learned from scientists at the poles.
Biography
Xavier Cortada is a socially engaged artist who uses art’s elasticity to work across disciplines to engage communities in creative problem-solving. Over the last three decades, he has created more than 150 public artworks, installations, and collaborative murals across six continents and has created work at both of the Earth’s poles.
Pioneering eco-art in Miami, his community-driven art has catalyzed over 25 acres of ecological restoration in Florida, yielded participatory projects in every Miami-Dade County public school and library, and sparked science-art initiatives to address sea level rise. Through his foundation, the Cuban American artist engages people in hands-on projects that generate awareness and inspire action around the climate crisis and other social justice issues.
Cortada served as Miami-Dade County’s inaugural artist-in-residence, was inducted into the State of Florida Artists Hall of Fame, and won a 2023 National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Excellence in Science Communications Award. He earned bachelor’s, master’s, and law degrees from the University of Miami.
