An interactive virtual gallery showcasing well-known artworks reimagined to depict a zero-carbon maritime future has launched this week in London.
The Future Seascapes exhibition, available online now, sees art by Turner, Monet and Van Gogh displayed side by side with zero carbon interpretations of each scene. Commissioned by UK class society Lloyd’s Register (LR) and created by British artist Reuben Dangoor, the works aim to highlight the technological advancements already under way in maritime, as well as engage with audiences beyond shipping to show how the sector is addressing the energy transition.
Included in the collection is JMW Turner’s The Fighting Temeraire, from 1838 (pictured above). It’s one of his most-celebrated works, depicting the last voyage of the warship HMS Temeraire, as it is towed by a coal-powered tug down the Thames to be broken up for scrap. This final voyage is replicated in the reworked picture with a futuristic twist, as the decaying HMS Temeraire is replaced with a carbon-emitting tanker of today, towed by a tug powered by a hybrid energy source.
Also featured is Vincent Van Gogh’s painting from 1888, The Sea at Les Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer (pictured above).
Featuring fishing boats powered by sail and oar, which already operate in a low-carbon fashion, Dangoor embraced renewable energy sources further by incorporating an offshore wind farm.
Dangoor said at the unveiling of the paintings: “The Future Seascapes collection has been an incredibly cool project for me to work on. I loved Lloyd’s Register’s concept of reimagining seascapes of old to depict a future that is both greener and cleaner – and doing so via a digital, technologically advanced medium aligns with the ambitions for the shipping industry to reach their climate ambitions by 2030.”
The gallery launch was held in tandem with LR opening its Maritime Decarbonisation Hub this week, a facility designed to help shipping on its path towards zero emissions.
Take a virtual stroll around this London gallery by clicking here.
