Capturing climate change through photography is the focus of a joint initiative between CIMA Research Foundation and the Italian Union of Amateur Photographers (UIF). Through the lens of a camera, the I-CHANGE project documents environmental impacts and adaptation solutions, leveraging the evocative power of art to raise awareness and inspire collective action.
Water, air, earth, and fire. The primordial elements of nature intertwine in an endless cycle, simultaneously destroying and recreating the world around us. Accompanying this often-invisible dance are mathematics and physics, tools of prediction and understanding, which transform natural phenomena into data and graphs. Yet, there is something numbers cannot capture: emotion, awareness, and the urgency to protect our planet. This is the power of art. Through photography, the initiative Obiettivo Clima, born from the collaboration between CIMA Research Foundation and UIF, narrates the story of climate change, translating the challenges and hopes of our time into powerful imagery.
Art and science: an alliance for the future
CIMA Research Foundation, while primarily focused on scientific research, demonstrates a deep commitment to fostering dialogue between art and science—two realms united by curiosity and the drive to understand the world. This interest materializes through the dedicated Art and Science website, which explores the connections between these fields and addresses complex topics such as drought, floods, biodiversity loss, and the climate crisis through visual and artistic languages. The goal is to make critical global issues accessible and immediately comprehensible, opening new perspectives for reflection and engagement.
The European project I-CHANGE, coordinated by CIMA Research Foundation and funded under the Horizon 2020 program, embodies this philosophy. At its core lies citizen science—an approach that makes science both accessible and participatory, transforming citizens into informed actors in environmental monitoring. As project coordinator Antonio Parodi explains, “Photography has emerged as a significant tool to promote citizen engagement. With a digital camera, an amateur photographer can become a citizen scientist, fostering interest and raising public awareness about climate change.”
The I-CHANGE project has realized this vision, demonstrating how interdisciplinary collaboration and active participation can transform complex themes into shared experiences. Through the evocative power of images, climate change and its impacts are no longer abstract concepts but realities that directly engage the observer. Within this framework, Obiettivo Clima was born—a unique collection of photographs that narrates the complexity and beauty of applied science through the art of photography.
Narrating change: a photographic catalog
At the heart of this visual journey is the Obiettivo Clima catalog. Each image tells a story, a fragment of reality that evokes both beauty and vulnerability. From violent storms ravaging coastlines to droughts transforming landscapes into desolate deserts, from wildfires reshaping ecosystems to the determined faces of people seeking solutions and resilience. As Elisa Poggi, project curator for UIF, emphasizes, “The atmospheres captured by our members celebrate the beauty around us while highlighting the harsh reality of the wounds inflicted by climate change, often offering symbolic or metaphorical interpretations.”
The catalog represents the culmination of a shared endeavor involving 550 amateur photographers from across Italy. Through photography contests and local activities, over 1,500 images were collected, all united by the goal of documenting and raising awareness about the effects of climate change and strategies for adaptation and mitigation. This initiative, which also included exhibitions and local events, transformed photography into an educational and reflective tool.
Among the collected images, those focusing on extreme events, such as the aftermath of the 2018 Vaia storm that left an indelible mark on the Italian landscape, stand out. These are complemented by photographs exploring themes of drought, ecosystem degradation, and pollution, showcasing how the climate crisis manifests in diverse forms, yet always with profound impacts on our lives.
Emotion and awareness: a new narrative
As Luca Ferraris, President of CIMA Research Foundation, observes, “Physics and mathematics are not enough. It is through the language of art that we cultivate the awareness that our planet is not just something to analyze and measure—it is something to be moved by, loved, and protected.”
This vision permeates every page of the catalog, which not only documents but also invites reflection and action. The photographs of Obiettivo Clima are not merely an archive but an open invitation. Viewing these images means immersing oneself in stories that concern us all—from cities to villages, from adults to children. It is an experience that reminds us of the urgent need to unite science, art, and collective action to tackle the challenges of climate change.
You can download the catalogue here.