New exhibition explores a planet on the brink of climate catastrophe

Gina Glover's A World of Fire and Ice features landscape photography, sculptures and 'camera-less' photographs to explore humans' relationship with energy and how it impacts the natural world.

The exhibition takes visitors on a journey from the deep past to the far future, with a focus on the urgent climate challenges the planet now faces.

From melting ice caps to fossil fuels, A World of Fire and Ice creates a mix of emotions - to think, to be concerned and, most importantly, to believe in the power of working together to combat climate change.

Katie Boyce, Rugby Art Gallery and Museum's senior exhibitions and programming officer, said the exhibition included Glover's trademark experiments with hybrid 'camera-less' photography, where the artist uses black and white negative film and out-of-date photographic paper to produce colourful lumen prints and chemigrams, developed with her own sustainable chemistry.

"Gina's images and sculptures drive the narrative of the exhibition, which reflects on the human relationship with our planet and the role we have played in climate change through our reliance on fossil fuels," Katie added.

"But while A World of Fire and Ice pulls no punches when it comes to describing the perilous point in history we have reached, it also offers hope of a cleaner, greener future through advances in sustainable energy sources such as solar, geothermal, wind and water."

Glover trained in fine art at Chelsea Art School and studied photography at the University of Westminster.

She co-founded Photofusion, now London's largest photography centre, and was awarded the prestigious Hood Medal by the Royal Photographic Society in 2008 and has twice received the Medical Research Council's Visions of Science Award.

A World of Fire and Ice opens at Rugby Art Gallery and Museum on Saturday 14 September and runs until Saturday 9 November.

Cllr Maggie O'Rourke, Rugby Borough Council portfolio holder for partnerships and wellbeing, said: "Climate change has now become a climate emergency and A World of Fire and Ice traces the evolution of energy and its impact on global warming.

"Gina's striking images and sculptures complement the exhibition's stark message, which gives all of us food for thought. 

"However, the exhibition also points to 'green shoots' of hope and shows us we can rise to the challenge of climate change by working together to protect the planet."

For more information about exhibitions and events at Rugby Art Gallery and Museum, visit www.ragm.co.uk