The Samek Art Gallery is currently displaying an exhibition titled “Against Time: Climate Calls from the Ice Archives,” which opened on Jan. 14. With climate change being one of the most politically polarizing international crises, the multimedia exhibition by Peggy Weil, Zaria Forman and Jessica Houston intertwines photography, drawings, sculptures, cinematography and diagrams to show the impact humans have had on the Earth. The exhibition will be on display at the Gallery, located in the Elaine Langone Center, until March 22.

“Against Time: Climate Calls from the Ice Archives” illustrates the interactions between mankind and nature through various artistic techniques in order to rethink the climate change dispute. The artists focus specifically on climate change in the arctic, bringing a serious issue in a remote location close to home while highlighting the aspects of climate change that most people do not witness in their day-to-day lives. The exhibition takes the data and facts of climate change to the artistic realm with visual representations and artistic perspectives that attempt to break through the ideological gridlock.

“As a studio art major, I think it is really important to see artwork on display that makes commentary on current events. I like how the artists are able to give unique perspectives on these controversial issues, which resonates more with people than just seeing statistics,” Natalie Ring ’22.

Forman creates original pastel drawings of glaciers and ice, showing their complexities and beauty. Her “Time Lapse of Whale Bay Antarctica No. 4” is a one-minute, time-lapse video of her creating a pastel drawing of a glacier in Antarctica. The time-lapse depicts how the process of Forman recreating thousands of years of glacier development can be sped up and shown in just a mere minute. This video attempts to create a parallel by showing that a glacier can be destroyed just as quickly as it was created.

In order to bring the scientific findings of climate change in the arctic closer to home, Houston shows artifacts from the location in the exhibition. Pieces such as “Failed Scientific Instrument” and “Ice Coring Cable” show relics of scientific investigation and display efforts to combat these changes in the arctic.

“Being able to see physical artifacts from the arctic is really incredible because we are so far away from this place and we are able to see the effects of climate change that is happening there,” Ring said.

Weil creates videos that show the process of collecting evidence of climate change in the arctic. She shows how scientists collect ice cores that are able to show the changes over thousands of years that account for massive differences in climate.

A related event to the “Against Time: Clime Calls from the Ice Archives” is “Fighting the Clock: A Frank Conversation about the Hot Button Topic of Climate Change,” which will be held on March 19 at 6 p.m. in the Walls Lounge of the Elaine Langone Center.