It had been raining for days. Four days before the water level was to reach its dramatic peak, the European Flood Awareness System sent out the first warnings. These became more accurate and at the same time more threatening with each passing hour. However, neither the responsible agencies nor the media reacted adequately.

In the end, the flood claimed more than 180 lives and left behind enormous suffering and immense damage to the personal belongings of those affected as well as to the infrastructure in the affected regions.

I know the Ahr valley from countless trips to visit my parents-in-law; the Eifel is my second home. Now you drive through unscathed areas that were not affected by the flood and suddenly you are faced with chaos. The transition from a lovely landscape to boundless devastation is abrupt and beyond imagination: swept away houses and empty window and door openings give an idea of the force with which the flood raged. Brown areas with distinct lines mark the peak of the water. Residents haul buckets of silt-covered possessions and washed-up trash out of their homes.

The Club of Rome predicted a critical progression of the world as early as 1972 in its report on the state of humanity titled „The Limits to Growth.“ In August 2021, the sixth assessment report of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was published. The impact of humans on the climate system is obvious. The more we disturb the climate, the more severe and irreversible the consequences will be.

We are warned!

Further information: www.eckart-bartnik.com

Nov 14, 2021 — Jan 29, 2022
Opening Reception: Saturday, Nov 13, 7 pm

Galerie Alles Mögliche

Odenwaldstraße 21, 12161 Berlin
[District: Friedenau | Borough: Tempelhof-Schöneberg]

Opening hours: Open daily from 8 am, appointment recommended: +49 173 3428083

Admission free