Zavitz Gallery to Host Climate Futures Exhibition

"Manufactured Ecosystems" Merges Art, Science, and Imagination to Rethink Climate Adaptation

Guelph, ON — This summer, the University of Guelph’s Zavitz Art Gallery will unveil Manufactured Ecosystems, an immersive exhibition that invites visitors to step into speculative futures where art, technology, and nature converge to address the climate crisis. The exhibition is the public-facing centerpiece of an International research initiative supported by the Government of Canada’s New Frontiers in Research Fund.

Curated by a global team of artists, scientists, engineers, and writers, Manufactured Ecosystems features interactive installations, speculative prototypes, and imaginative storytelling that forecast how humanity might adapt to ecological collapse using nature-inspired technologies.

“Instead of rehearsing climate doom, we’re asking: what comes next? What tools, values, and ecosystems might we invent to endure and adapt together?” says Dr. Shoshanah Jacobs, lead investigator and professor at the University of Guelph. “The works on display challenge us to imagine complete adaptation strategies—some plausible, some provocative, all urgent.”

With contributions from researchers and creators across Canada, Germany, the U.S., Greece, Mexico, and Trinidad & Tobago, the exhibition reflects the diverse expertise of a team committed to rethinking climate innovation. From speculative design to biomimicry and posthuman ethics, Manufactured Ecosystems explores the cultural, scientific, and aesthetic dimensions of survival in a radically altered world.

The exhibition also marks the launch of an open-access database of “technological proxies”—devices and concepts that substitute for endangered ecosystem services. It is part of a wider effort to reshape public conversation around climate action, emphasizing creativity, collaboration, and cultural imagination as essential tools for navigating the climate emergency.

The Manufactured Ecosystems exhibition runs from June 23rd to August 7th, 2025, at the Zavitz Art Gallery, University of Guelph. Admission is free. Community partners and local organizations are encouraged to engage and promote the event, which is supported by federal funding and aligns with broader efforts to make climate science accessible through the arts.

Exhibition Dates: June 23rd to August 7th, 2025
Location: Zavitz Art Gallery, University of Guelph
Admission: Free and open to the public
Contact: sjacob04@uoguelph.ca

For more information or to request media materials and interviews, please contact:
Website: www.manufacturedecosystems.com