Please join The Commonwealth Club of California and UC Berkeley’s Townsend Center for the Humanities for the second in a series of dialogues on catastrophe, storytelling and the present

Please join The Commonwealth Club of California and UC Berkeley’s Townsend Center for the Humanities for the second in a series of dialogues on catastrophe, storytelling and the present moment. In “Climate Change and Sacred Groves,” Townsend Center scholar Sugata Ray will meet with visual artist Ranu Mukherjee to investigate the relationship between the natural world and the sacred realm, especially as it has developed in India over the last several centuries of civilization and the rise of the Anthropocene era.

In his most recent book, Climate Change and the Art of Devotion, Sugata shows how a site-specific and ecologically grounded theology emerged in northern India in the wake of the Little Ice Age (ca. 1550–1850), an epoch marked by climatic catastrophes across the globe. His interests dovetail in unexpected and compelling ways with Ranu’s visionary and captivating recent work, which positions the banyan tree as a meeting point between ecology and culture. Their conversation will be an opportunity for viewers to contemplate and rethink the role of art as it relates to contemporary concerns around climate, disease, human flourishing and the sacred.

Sugata Ray is associate professor of South and Southeast Asian art in the History of Art Department at the University of California, Berkeley. His research and writing focus on climate change and the visual arts from the 1500s onward. Ray is the author of Climate Change and the Art of Devotion: Geoaesthetics in the Land of Krishna, 1550–1850 (2019); Water Histories of South Asia: The Materiality of Liquescence (2019; coedited); and Ecologies, Aesthetics, and Histories of Art (forthcoming; coedited).

Ranu Mukherjee is a visual artist who makes paintings, animations and large-scale installations. Her current work focuses on shifting senses of ecology, non-human agency, diaspora, migration and transnational feminist experience. Her most recent installation was presented at the ecologically focused 2019 Karachi Biennale; she has exhibited solo at the San Jose Museum of Art, the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art, the Asian Art Museum, and the de Young Museum. She is an associate professor in graduate fine art at the California College of the Arts. Mukherjee is represented by Gallery Wendi Norris.

NOTES
Artwork from The Met (in public domain): "Krishna and Balarama by a River: Page from a Dispersed Bhagavata Purana (Ancient Stories of Lord Vishnu)"

Part one in this series, “The Book of Exodus,” can be viewed here


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Beaver restoration offers ancient, nature-based solutions to climate disruption, addressing challenges like droughts, floods, soil erosion, and biodiversity loss. These vital rodents heal

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In this episode, "Beaver Believers" Kate Lundquist and Brock Dolman of the Occidental Arts & Ecology Center (OAEC) share their journey. As co-directors of OAEC’s WATER Institute, they lead a global movement to reintroduce beavers, promoting healthy watersheds and climate resilience.

Learn more through resources like the Beaver Believer article and the WATER Institute’s Beaver in California reader. This episode is from the Bioneers: Revolution from the Heart of Nature series.

The "Smart Employee" App, a WSIS Prize winner announced on May 28, 2024, revolutionizes staff management for 74 Dubai government entities, serving over 73,000 employees with a 99% usage rate.

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Recognized for its innovative approach to sustainable development and bridging the digital divide, the app exemplifies creative contributions needed to advance UN Sustainable Development Goals. Explore the project: Smart Employee App.

WeWork, once revolutionary in workspaces, education, and housing, ultimately faced financial turmoil. WSJ reporters Eliot Brown and Maureen Farrell chronicle this journey in The Cult of We,

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Join co-authors Eliot Brown and Maureen Farrell (WSJ reporters, experts in venture capital and IPOs) with moderator Charles Duhigg (The New Yorker) to uncover startup culture's gripping reality. Presented with INFORUM.

The Commonwealth Club of California, the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum, hosts over 400 annual events. Explore more: Videos | Events | Membership | Watch/Listen | Facebook | Twitter.

The Turtle Lodge proudly announces Erica Marie Daniels, a Cree filmmaker from Peguis First Nation and founder of Kejic Productions, as the recipient of the 2021 Young Aboriginal Entrepreneurship

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An award-winning director and producer, her film "Run As One – The Journey of the Front Runners" won two Golden Sheaf Awards and was nominated for a Canadian Screen Award. She also completed "Mikinakay – Trail of the Turtle" and is co-directing "The Seven Sacred Laws."

Erica mentors youth in media, connecting them to their identity—a passion stemming from her cultural journey at the Turtle Lodge since 2011. She inspires Aboriginal youth to pursue their full potential and dreams.

Olympic skier Gus Kenworthy and diver Greg Louganis will discuss thriving as LGBTQ+ athletes, the evolution of inclusion in sports, and future advocacy. Kenworthy, an Olympic silver medalist and

Olympic skier Gus Kenworthy and diver Greg Louganis will discuss thriving as LGBTQ+ athletes, the evolution of inclusion in sports, and future advocacy. Kenworthy, an Olympic silver medalist and pioneering openly gay skier, made history competing for the U.S. in the Winter Olympics. He also founded the Worthy Foundation, supporting the LGBTQ+ community. Learn more about Gus here.

Louganis, a diving legend with 5 Olympic medals and unbroken records, continues his legacy as a coach, author, and activist for HIV/AIDS, LGBTQ+, and human rights. Learn more about Greg here. The discussion is moderated by Marcos Pérez-Ogilvie.

Steve Leonard, CEO of Singularity University (SU), has over 25 years of IT industry experience across Asia and Europe, and senior government roles in Singapore, implementing national innovation

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Before SU, Leonard founded SGInnovate, a Singapore government-owned company, launching over 90 deep-tech startups with $50M invested and engaging 35,000 people. He previously led Singapore's Infocomm Development Authority and spent two decades as a global tech executive. He also serves on the boards of Singapore Post and AsiaSat. This talk was given at a TEDx event.

Discover how astronomer Vera Rubin's persistence led to the groundbreaking discovery of dark matter, a concept now fundamental to understanding our universe. Despite initial dismissal and facing

Discover how astronomer Vera Rubin's persistence led to the groundbreaking discovery of dark matter, a concept now fundamental to understanding our universe. Despite initial dismissal and facing barriers as a woman in science, Rubin's work revealed that astronomical objects exaggerate gravity's grip, earning her the National Medal of Science and posthumous honors like the Vera C. Rubin Observatory.

Join us for this "Good Lit" series event on August 26, 2021, featuring Ashley Jean Yeager, author of *Bright Galaxies, Dark Matter, and Beyond: The Life of Astronomer Vera Rubin*, in conversation with George Hammond. Learn more and subscribe:

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