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During 2015, visionary and advocate Gustav Metzger embarked on one of his last important works. Known for introducing self-destructive creations, Metzger had dedicated his life to confronting societal issues from peace activism to ethical eating. Via a concise video message, he requested support for a global day of action to remember nature.

“I call upon you for your participation in this worldwide call for a day of action to remember nature on the fourth of November, 2015,” he declared, urging makers and thinkers to resist the ongoing loss of flora and fauna. “The mission is to make audiences aware of the abundance and sophistication in nature … and by doing so art will enter territories that are naturally imaginative.”

The Creation of Nature Remembrance

And so the Nature Remembrance initiative was established, a day when artists across the country developed works to the unfolding climate catastrophe. One of the curators, who supported Metzger in his last days, notes his sense of urgency. “He had a great sense of urgency for him at the end of his life,” she says. “My advice was – let’s not mess around. We shouldn’t hold back for financial support or for anyone to green light this. Take action immediately.”

Ten Years On

Ten years later, the project did not sparked the widespread change across the arts that Metzger had hoped for, but Joelson believes its legacy can still be felt in movements like Culture Declares and Extinction Rebellion, as well as in how makers handle the sustainability of their practices. That’s why she is restaging it to commemorate its decade milestone. Included in the 18 lead artists taking part currently are A Man Called Adam and other notable figures. They have all designed posters, made video appeals, and produced installations set to be revealed on 4 November 2025.

Sowing Change

When speaking to one participant, she is on site in the countryside, helping plant apple trees that will create a coiled garden. Engaging schoolchildren, her project is part creative piece and part learning experience. She describes, the preparation and sowing sessions have already involved learning about mathematics (spacing the gaps in the orchard), biology (studying the hereditary traits), and origins (tracing the backgrounds of how various cultivars arrived in Britain).

Several the apples were picked because they’ve got funny names such as the Bloody Butcher. We have one apple that ‘bleeds’ scarcolored sap

“Several the apples were chosen because they’ve got humorous titles such as the other unusual varieties,” says Gallaccio. “We have one apple that produces scarlet-colored sap. Every one carries background narratives. The historical cultivar was brought over by the Romans. The Kentish variety is the apple that fell from a tree and struck the scientist’s head.”

The artist aimed the children to be more thoughtfully connected of nature and the power we have over it. “In their experience, apples were just things you find in a supermarket, so I was encouraging them, on their next shopping trip, to read the label and see the variety and the source. Ideally it reads Kent!”

Artistic Responses Throughout Britain

In London, one artist’s work about extinction will engage visitors exploring an art institution on a quest to find the frozen formations that have been vanished in modern times. Each glacier will be illustrated on the exhibition spaces using invisible ink. When located, a bell will ring and a performance will be conducted to remember that particular glacier.

Elsewhere, up in a northern town, Maddi Nicholson will be hosting a open display about our separation from nature, as well as organizing a shared meal, made using organic, local produce. Further north, an artist is broadcasting her musical project, in which community vocalists undertake a task to use music to heal flora in a local park.

Children’s Voices

Similar to other artists, a featured creator will be working with schoolchildren – on the actual event she is planning to cover an art space in youth creations that capture their hopes and fears for the years ahead. “Children’s words and images are powerful because they’re not as restricted as mature perspectives,” she says in her call to action video. “The contributions of youth to the world is something truly special and hopefully it will provoke a awareness of obligation from each person. Children are innocent. They have concerns for tomorrow. But this shouldn’t be about fear – it should be about optimism and us ensuring that they get a future.”

Remembrance and Reflection

Paul Harfleet’s work also connects with children. Drawing on past experience, his Birds Can Fly involves sketching winged creatures and then embodying them – and for Remember Nature day he is intending to represent a local symbol. He is also conducting a guided walk of the city, stopping at places that have been part of his Pansy Project over the last two decades. This endeavor started after he experienced three incidents of homophobic abuse on a one occasion. As a reaction, Harfleet decided to place a bloom at the site of each occurrence and document it – the project has since expanded to incorporate experiences experienced by other people across the world. “The flowers remain there but they are temporary,” says Harfleet. “Apparently wildlife enjoys them, so they’re a short-lived memorial.”

Harfleet chose the bloom not just for the direct association – it has long been a slur – but also because its etymology comes from the French verb, penser, to think. “People connected it with a man who is thoughtful, and that, of course, is a terrible thing,” he says.

The plan on 4 November is to place blooms at additional sites and also replant flowers in places he has previously memorialised, all the while discussing with those on the itinerant journey about the incidents and his personal experiences. “We’ve seen quite a few after my previous work,” he says mournfully.

Moving Forward with Hope

The artist wishes his work – and