Starting on 25th November 2014, a unique and important art exhibition will open at the Old Sorting Office in the heart of London to celebrate the 50thAnniversary of The IUCN Red List of Threatened and Endangered Species. Entitled ‘HERE TODAY…’, the exhibition will be supported by The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and Baku Magazine.

Curated by international curatorial collective, Artwise, the exhibition will include specially commissioned interactive installations and artist’s rooms, and will feature the works of world famous artists from a variety of international backgrounds and range of media. The Old Sorting Office will be transformed and will take you on a journey of artworks on endangered species and environmental concern from artists including George Condo, Tracey Emin, Andy Warhol, Gavin Turk, Peter Blake, United Visual Artists, Douglas Gordon, Stephanie Quayle, Gordon Cheung, Oswaldo Macia, Julian Opie, Mariko Mori, Carsten Höller, Diana Thater and more.

The expression ‘Here today, gone tomorrow’ is commonly used when talking about things that are transient – as so much in our society is today. HERE TODAY… is a unique exhibition about our planet: the voices, visions, sounds and even smells from contemporary artists from around the world, brought together to address global issues that are important to every single one of us.

Upon entry into the exhibition, visitors will be immersed into a unique journey exploring the escalating extinction crisis and the current pressure that humanity is placing on the planet. The aim of the exhibition is to raise vital funds for The IUCN, while raising the public’s awareness of the fragility of our ecosystems and the drastic consequences that can prevail if we fail to take responsibility and action.

The IUCN is one of the largest and most respected bodies in the environmental and conservation sphere, with a membership that unites over 1,200 governments and NGOs, and nearly 11,000 volunteer experts in some 160 countries. It is the leading purveyor of facts and knowledge to the world of nature conservation helping find pragmatic solutions to its most pressing environment and development challenges. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is the world’s most comprehensive information source on the global conservation status of wildlife, assessing whether a plant, fungi or animal is threatened with extinction.

With a coffee shop and store selling exclusive merchandise, the exhibition will boast a social hub in central London to relax, catch-up with friends and participate in a series of workshops and discussions from prominent artists, curators and conservation experts.

The exhibition will be open to the public in London from 25th November – 17th December and will then tour to prominent art capitals in the world, completing its journey at the Heydar Aliyev Center in Baku, designed by Zaha Hadid.

http://heretoday.org