Seattle, 5 June 2024 - Two magnificent murals now grace a revitalized Seattle waterfront in celebration of World Environment Day and the designation of the City of Seattle selected as a Generation Restoration "Role Model City" by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The original pieces of art, curated by the non-profit, Street Art for Mankind (SAM) focus on two major aspects of ecosystem restoration: an Urban Ecosystem Restoration mural by world-renowned Danish artist, Victor Ash, is a pledge to restore nature in urban settings and calls for tree equity; and an Ocean Ecosystem Restoration mural by Mexican 3-D artist, Adry del Rocio, highlights the importance of connecting cities to the blue ecosystems that sustain them.
The murals are part of a global series produced by SAM in collaboration with UNEP and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), to spark energy and dialogue among stakeholders from all sectors in support of the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, a global effort to halt and restore biodiversity to prevent catastrophic climate change by 2030. As part of this series, four other Ecosystem Restoration murals have been unveiled in Brussels, Houston, New York and Detroit.
To meet the Paris Agreement target of keeping temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius, the global community must work together to take immediate steps to prevent, stop and reverse the degradation of our ecosystems. The recently released Global Biodiversity Framework has set ambitious ecosystem restoration targets like restoring 30% of degraded ecosystems by 2030 to drive critical action.
The two massive murals were created in just two weeks and will become major city landmarks for years to come. The Urban Ecosystem Restoration mural, at nearly 800 feet wide, is the largest in North America and highlights the importance of green spaces which lay at the heart of urban planning for the benefit of people and nature. In this work of art, the artist showcases three magnificent species – the osprey (seahawk), sea otter, and harbor seal – which are all local to the area and have bounced back in number. Reflected in their eyes are iconic landmarks and buildings, nature and diverse populations which inspire us to focus on ecosystem restoration and tree equity in cities.
The 3-D Ocean Ecosystem Restoration mural is a celebration of Seattle’s unique link with the sea and the need to strengthen the connection between coastal cities and oceans. Coastal regions are home to 40% of the global population, and 12 out of the world’s 15 largest cities are located by the sea. The child in the image represents humankind to remind us of the essential role that we play in the care and protection of our oceans and endangered species. In fact, 80% of cities could improve their water quality by taking care of the ecosystems that surround them.
A free mobile app called “Behind the Wall®” works as an audio guide when scanning the mural and is available on the Play Store and App Store. It enables the public to discover the facts and stories behind each ecosystem restoration mural, to listen to the artists describe their creations and to learn about how citizens can take action to address the issues.
The Urban Ecosystem Restoration mural is made possible due to the generous support of Bulleit Frontier Whiskey, a Diageo company which is a member of the UN Global Compact. The Ocean Ecosystem Restoration mural is made possible thanks to the generous support of the Elliott Pointe Apartments.
QUOTES:
"Our waterfront is a critical entryway to our beautiful city, our downtown neighborhoods, and the region. Through art, there is no better place to reflect Seattle's deep connection to our environment, and our commitment to addressing the climate crisis and urban ecosystem restoration," said Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell. "Seattle's efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and build a thriving, green city go hand-in-hand – advancing tree equity and canopy health, expanding pedestrian pathways and open green spaces throughout the city, supporting new clean energy jobs, and more. Seattle will continue to be at the forefront of creating a more climate resilient future for our city. Thank you to the United Nations Environment Programme for honoring Seattle as a Role Model City and recognizing our role in global efforts to protect, restore and better steward our planet."
“We are thrilled to unveil these iconic murals on World Environment Day, the biggest international day for the environment,” said Rafael Peralta, Regional Director for North America, United Nations Environment Programme. “The artwork reflects this year’s focus on the protection and restoration of our natural environments on land and in the ocean. We all have a critical role to play in safeguarding our planet and these inspiring murals will serve as a powerful reminder for years to come.”
“We feel honored and humbled to be able to paint large murals in downtown Seattle for the UN Environment Programme on World Environment Day.” said Audrey and Thibault Decker, co-founders of Street Art for Mankind. “We hope that our murals will inspire visitors to reflect on the beauty of Seattle ecosystems, and on the importance of protecting them. It has been quite an adventure and an unprecedented performance to paint them. They are the result of 14 days of intense work from incredibly talented and passionate artists: Victor Ash, Adry del Rocio, Carlos Alberto, They Drift and Ksra. Thank you, Seattle, for having us.”
NOTES TO EDITORS
About Victor Ash
Victor Ash is a Danish-French artist, pioneer of the French graffiti and street art scene. He is famous for his symbolic black and white murals such as his "Astronaut Cosmonaut" in Berlin Kreuzberg, and for his large iconic colorful murals that visualize themes of current society in a striking way, while merging with the scenery. https://streetartmankind.org/artists/victor-ash/
About Adry Del Rocio
Adry del Rocio is a Mexican street artist, and one of the most recognized 3D urban artists in the world. She finds her inspiration in the human being and likes to show “the soul of things,” while inviting us to re-believe in the “unsurpassable beauty of existence”.
https://streetartmankind.org/artists/adry-del-rocio/
About the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration
The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030 is a rallying call for the protection and revival of ecosystems across the world, for the benefit of people and nature. It aims to halt the degradation of ecosystems and restore them to achieve global goals. The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed the UN Decade, which is led by the United Nations Environment Programme and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. https://www.decadeonrestoration.org/
About Street Art for Mankind (SAM)
Street Art for Mankind (SAM) is a non-profit organization curating and producing large murals all around the world with prominent street artists. SAM’s goal is to raise awareness on social justice and environmental issues, and to give the public the means to become actors of change.
Visit https://streetartmankind.org/ecosystemrestoration/ or follow @streetartmankind on Instagram.
About Bulleit Frontier Whiskey
Bulleit, founded in 1987, is one of the fastest-growing whiskeys in America. The brand attributes that growth to bartenders and cultural partners who have adopted it as their own. The Bulleit Frontier Whiskey portfolio is distilled and aged in the Bulleit family tradition, using a distinctive high rye recipe, which gives them a bold, spicy, yet distinctively smooth taste. The award-winning Kentucky whiskey most recently won a Double Gold medal for Bulleit 10-Year-Old and Gold Medals for Bulleit Bourbon and Bulleit Rye at the 2021 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. In 2017, Bulleit celebrated its 30th anniversary with the opening of a new, state-of-the-art distillery located in Shelbyville, KY. Constructed with a focus on sustainable practices including natural habitat protection, water conservation and local ingredient sourcing. In 2019, a Visitor's Centre at the Bulleit Distilling Co. in Shelbyville opened to share our modern, technological, and sustainable approach to making great whiskey. In 2021, Diageo opened its first carbon-neutral whiskey distillery in Lebanon, KY with Bulleit being the first and leading brand being produced at the site. supplementing existing production at the Bulleit Distilling Co. For more information, visit www.bulleit.com or follow @Bulleit on Instagram.
About the Generation Restoration project
UNEP’s Generation Restoration project will run for three years from 2023 until 2025 and aims to implement a package of measures to address selected political, technical and financial challenges to promote restoration at scale, particularly in urban areas.
This project is financed by the Federal German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by UNEP with the support of and in coordination with the UN Decade Secretariat and ICLEI’s Global Biodiversity Center.
For more information please contact:
Laura Fuller, Head of Communications, UNEP North America: [email protected], +1 202 255 2228
Audrey Decker, Street Art for Mankind, Victor Ash & Adry del Rocio: [email protected],
+1 305 934 5501
Visual Assets: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1pmJgd-s3JFet9CgN6uFhnSD8u-P2CSyd
Required credit and tagging information:
Photo Credit: @dr_derek for @StreetArtMankind
#StreetArtMankind #EcosystemRestorationMurals #GenerationRestoration #ForNature #ClimateAction
Mural Addresses:
- Urban Ecosystem Restoration - Waterfront Landings - 1950 Alaskan Wy, Seattle, WA 98101
- Ocean Ecosystem Restoration - Elliott Pointe Apartments - 2226 Elliott Ave, Seattle, WA 98121