"Our ambition is for the work to be revelatory, not accusatory, as we examine human influence on the Earth both on a planetary scale and in geological time. The shifting of consciousness is the beginning of change."

– Edward Burtynsky, Jennifer Baichwal, and Nicholas de Pencier

Anthropocene dramatically illustrates how we, individually and collectively, are leaving a human signature on our world.

World-renowned photographer Edward Burtynsky and filmmakers Jennifer Baichwal and Nicholas de Pencier have created a powerful series of new photographs, including large scale murals augmented by film extensions, film installations and augmented reality (AR) installations, that take us to places we are deeply connected to – but normally never see.

The artists travelled to countries on every continent, save Antarctica, documenting irreversible marks of human activity. Informed by scientific research, powered by aesthetic vision, inspired by a desire to bear witness, they reveal the scale and gravity of our impact on the planet.

We have reached an unprecedented moment in planetary history. Humans now change the Earth’s systems more than all natural forces combined. This is the central argument of the proposed current geological epoch: the Anthropocene.

Organized by the Art Gallery of Ontario and the Canadian Photography Institute of the National Gallery of Canada, in partnership with Manifattura di Arti, Sperimentazione e Tecnologia (MAST).