Publisher: Artlogic
World Meteorological Organisation
COP29, Baku Azerbaijan
In Christian faith, water has always been more than a physical
necessity—it represents renewal, cleansing, and the life-giving
force of creation. From the first moments of Genesis to the rivers of
Revelation, water is both a sign of God’s provision and a reminder of
our responsibility. Today, as we face rising sea levels, water scarcity,
pollution, and geopolitical tensions over access to water, it is clear
that the way we treat water reflects the way we value life itself. The
climate crisis is, in many ways, a water crisis—demanding not only
scientific and policy-driven solutions but also a shift in mindset. Water
cannot be reduced to a commodity; it must be understood as a living,
interconnected system that sustains communities, cultures, and creation
itself.
Just as we are called to be stewards of the Earth, we are also called
to protect and honor water—not as a mere resource, but as a divine
blessing that sustains both body and soul. At the 2024 UN Climate
Change Conference (COP29), which took place in Baku, Azerbaijan,
Meeting of Waters (MoW) collaborated with the World Meteorological
Organization (WMO) at the Science for Climate Action Pavillion, bringing
a cultural and philosophical dimension to the global water conversation.
While WMO led the scientific and policy efforts in advancing water
governance, climate resilience, and hydrological data systems, MoW
contributed by reframing water as more than a resource—recognizing its
cultural, spiritual, and existential significance.
This collaboration highlighted the need for a holistic approach to water
stewardship, one that integrates scientific expertise with the deeper
human connection to water. Through dialogue, artistic interventions, and
participatory experiences, we explored how bridging science, policy, and
culture can foster a more profound, ethical, and sustainable approach to
water management worldwide. By working alongside WMO, MoW seeks
to complement data-driven decision-making with a renewed cultural
and emotional consciousness, ensuring that water is not just protected
by policies but also valued as a living force essential to both human and
planetary well-being.
Action should be informed by science, but moved by faith.
In collaboration with the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), on
November 20, 2024, the Water Day of COP29, Meeting of Waters (MoW)
addressed the Caspian Sea crisis through an artistic intervention to a
local and global audience. As the world’s largest inland saltwater lake,
the Caspian is suffering from industrial pollution, oil extraction, and
ecosystem degradation—a stark reminder of how human activity shapes
the fate of water bodies.
The pray-formance began with a Christian prayer led by Charlotte Qin,
calling for healing and renewal of the Caspian Sea. This was followed
by a three-part video installation, offering a layered perspective on
the region’s environmental transformation and exploitation. The first
sequence transported the audience to Qizilgum Beach, on the northern
shore of the Caspian Sea in Baku at sunset, where the vast, shifting
waters meet the land—a reminder of both nature’s resilience and
vulnerability. The second sequence shifted focus to Baku’s oil fields,
located just 10 kilometers from the Olympic Stadium, where COP29
was hosted—a stark juxtaposition of global climate negotiations and the
very industry driving ecological degradation. Finally, the third sequence
presented a MODIS Terra satellite timelapse of the Absheron Peninsula
from 2006 to 2022, revealing the slow but relentless transformation of
the Caspian coastline, shaped by urbanization, industrial expansion, and
climate-induced changes.
This visual storytelling set the stage for a 20-minute live improvisation
by pianist Miklós Veszprémi, whose music guided the audience into
an immersive reflection on the sea’s beauty, loss, and uncertain future.
As the music unfolded, Charlotte painted the Caspian, using color as a
language of truth and transformation—blue for purity, black for the oil that
stains its waters, and gold as a plea for divine intervention. This act of
live painting embodied the tension between destruction and redemption,
echoing the urgent need for policy, science, and human conscience to
work in unison, reinforcing MoW’s mission to restore not just water, but
humanity’s relationship with it.
