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Back in 2015, visionary and advocate Gustav Metzger embarked on one of his ultimate important works. Recognized for pioneering art that erases itself, Metzger had dedicated his life to addressing human struggles from anti-nuclear advocacy to ethical eating. In a brief video message, he made a plea for a global day of action to remember nature.

“I call upon you for your involvement in this international summons for a day of action to remember nature on the fourth of November, 2015,” he stated, urging artists and creatives to resist the steady eradication of species. “The mission is to help the public recall of the richness and complexity in nature … and by doing so art will enter realms that are fundamentally innovative.”

The Inception of Remember Nature

Thus Remember Nature came into being, a day when artists across the country developed works to the unfolding climate catastrophe. An organizer, who cared for Metzger in his later life, remembers his feeling of immediacy. “There was a profound sense of urgency for him at the final chapter,” she says. “My advice was – let’s not mess around. Let’s not wait for funding or for anyone to approve this. We should proceed.”

A Decade Later

Ten years later, the initiative hasn’t quite incited the mass movement across the arts that Metzger had dreamed of, but Joelson believes its legacy can still be seen in movements like cultural advocacy groups and climate activism networks, as well as in how artists approach the sustainability of their work. That’s why she is restaging it to celebrate its 10-year anniversary. Included in the 18 lead artists participating now are Yu-Chen Wang and prominent artists. They have all created visual art, made video appeals, and developed pieces set to be revealed on November 4, 2025.

Sowing Change

In conversation with one participant, she is out in a field in a rural area, helping plant apple trees that will create a circular grove. Engaging schoolchildren, her project is half artwork and part learning experience. According to her, the planning and planting sessions have already involved learning about maths (measuring out the gaps in the orchard), science (discussing the apple’s DNA), and history (researching the stories of how distinct varieties arrived in Britain).

A lot of the apples were picked because they’ve got humorous titles such as the Duck’s Bill. We have one apple that ‘bleeds’ crimson liquid

“A lot of the apples were chosen because they’ve got funny names such as the Bloody Butcher,” says Gallaccio. “We have one apple that ‘bleeds’ crimson liquid. Every one carries background narratives. The ancient variety was brought over by the Romans. The Kentish variety is the apple that dropped off a tree and struck the physicist’s head.”

She hoped the children to be more thoughtfully connected of the environment and the control we have over it. “In their experience, apples were just things you get at a supermarket, so I was prompting them, when they go shopping, to check the packaging and see what they’re called and their origin. Hopefully it says Kent!”

Cultural Projects Across the Country

Within the city, a participant’s work about extinction will engage visitors searching an art institution on a quest to find the ice masses that have been lost in recent years. Every ice sheet will be drawn on the gallery’s windows and walls using ultraviolet markers. Whenever one is found, a chime will sound and a performance will be held to honor that specific ice mass.

At the same time, up in another location, a creative will be hosting a free exhibition about our disconnection from the land, as well as hosting a communal feast, cooked from organic, local produce. Over in Newcastle, Uta Kögelsberger is sharing her Some Kind of Love / Forest Choir, in which regional performers embark on a mission to sing plants back to health in a green space.

Children’s Voices

Like Gallaccio, Cornelia Parker will be working with schoolchildren – on the actual event she is planning to fill an art space in youth creations that document their hopes and fears for the tomorrow. “Children’s words and images are impactful because they’re not as trammelled as grown-ups’,” she says in her recorded message. “What children have to offer to the world is something quite unique and hopefully it will inspire a feeling of duty from us all. Children are innocent. They have anxieties about what’s next. But this shouldn’t be about worry – it should be about optimism and making sure that they have a tomorrow.”

Memorials and Memory

Another artist’s work also appeals to children. Drawing on past experience, his Birds Can Fly involves illustrating avians and then performing as birds – and for the initiative he is aiming to address an iconic figure. He is also organizing a walking tour of the city, exploring locations that have been part of his ongoing series over the recent decades. The project started after he faced three incidents of prejudice on a particular day. To counter this, Harfleet decided to place a bloom at the site of each occurrence and document it – the project has since spiralled to incorporate experiences shared by other people across the world. “I leave the pansies there but they don’t often last,” says Harfleet. “It seems wildlife enjoys them, so they’re a short-lived memorial.”

Harfleet chose the bloom not just for the clear connection – it has long been a derogatory label – but also because its name derives from the French verb, penser, to think. “It was linked to a man who is thoughtful, and that, of course, is a bad quality,” he says.

The project on 4 November is to sow flowers at new locations and also replant flowers in places he has previously memorialised, all the while discussing with those on the walking tour about the incidents and his memories of them. “We’ve seen quite a few since I last planted,” he says with regret.

Progressing Optimistically

The artist wishes his work – and