Interview with Luciana Abait
Luciana Abait was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina and is currently based in Los Angeles. Her multimedia works deal with climate change and environmental fragility, and their impacts on immigration in particular.
Abait’s artworks have been shown widely in the United States, Europe, Latin America and Asia in solo shows in galleries, museums and international art fairs. Selected solo exhibitions include On the Verge at Hilliard Art Museum in Louisiana, Escape-Route at the Laguna Art Museum, A Letter to The Future at Los Angeles International Airport in California, Flow, Blue at Rockford College Art Museum in Illinois, and ARCO in Spain. She has completed numerous corporate and public art commissions, among them “Vistas,” a 24-foot mural commissioned by Miami- Dade Art in Public Places, and “Hong Kong Windows”, commissioned by Swire Properties in Hong Kong.
Abait’s works have been featured in The Art Newspaper, Los Angeles Times, Hyperallergic, Aesthetica, and Stir World among others.
Abait’s works are held in private, public and corporate collections from the United States, Europe, Latin America and East Asia.
Can you tell us about your artistic journey and how you became interested in creating multimedia works that address climate change and environmental fragility?
When I moved to the US from Argentina in the 90’s, the first body of water in the US that I saw was the Atlantic Ocean in Miami Beach. I was and still am fascinated by its intense aqua color, its crystal-clear waters, and the warm temperature which are a vivid memory that I think of often. This was the start of my engagement with nature, and water in particular, and its preservation through my work.
In my photo-based landscapes, installations, video and photo-sculptures, I frequently use color manipulation to achieve a surreal and awe-inspiring mood. The natural landscapes I reproduce and reimagine create a child-like sense of wonder for viewers of my artworks.
How do you approach the process of translating complex environmental issues into visual and multimedia art? Can you walk us through your creative process?
Being a South American, Latinx artist who has immigrated to the US, my own immigrant experience has shaped how I make work for the public. I moved to Los Angeles 17 years ago and became extremely aware of environmental issues when I arrived. The city's commitment to climate change alleviation was key in my formation as an artist. At the same time, I became aware of my "otherness" and I felt a sense of invisibility within the new urban environments that I had to adapt to. The issues and experiences directly inform my art and my desire to connect with others through my work.
I choose imagery of the natural world that my audiences can directly relate to and this is the starting point for much of my work. Recently I was part of a panel on environmental issues with a scientist from UCLA. She explained that it is proven scientifically that if people are told that there’s no hope, they will give up. Instead, it they are told THERE IS HOPE , they will continue to fight and try to make a difference. At that moment I realized that was what I was doing instinctively, I was trying to create HOPE in my audience.
Your works often incorporate various mediums. How do you choose the materials and techniques that best convey your message about the impacts of climate change?
Many pf my works are site specific and so the site determines the media I choose, as well as things like budget and the target audience. If it’s a public area, I generally create large scale-monumental works to grab people's attention and to create a sense of awe and wonder
Also, sometimes the theme determines the media: for example I imagined creating a waterfall after experiencing a moment of contemplation in a river, where water runs through rocks. I wanted to transmit the beauty of the sound and movement of water so the logical step for me was to create a moving piece.
Climate change is a vast and interconnected topic. How do you decide which aspects or angles of environmental issues to focus on in your artwork, and what considerations guide those decisions?
Current events - both around the world and local - often give me a starting place for my artworks. In 2017, I read in the news about the Iceberg that had broken off Antarctica and was floating aimlessly in the ocean. Scientists were extremely worried and were trying to figure out where this enormous piece of ice was going to end up. I found this news very tragic but at the same time I immediately saw it as a metaphor for my life. I felt like that piece of iceberg that was drifting aimlessly and was trying to find a final destination.
This is how my Iceberg Series started. In it I combine my personal history with urgent environmental issues. The relationship between the environment and vulnerable communities such as immigrants is another key area of focus in my work. After reading about the refugee crisis in Syria in 2025, and created an immersive installation titled “The Maps that Failed Us”. It was created with giant paper maps that are jumbled together and create a large mountainous wall. With this work, I hope to encourage empathy in spectators as they stand by the giant mountains made with maps of the world, see all the countries but feel that there's no one they can belong to.
Can you share a specific piece or project that you feel strongly represents your perspective on climate change? What messages or emotions do you hope viewers take away from that particular work?
"Agua" is a video artwork that I created which was shown in Los Angeles in 2021. It dramatically cascaded down the historic Petroleum Securities Building in downtown. This work activated the audience by allowing them to dance, stroll, sit, and even parkour under the falling light of the water. There was an unbelievable emotional connection to this element of nature—to the water— something that everyone is familiar with and that was presented in such a majestic and powerful manner. I was moved by so many people that day and even after, that said to me “Thank you, we needed this so much”. There was a special energy created by this joyful moment.
Water is an essential element for the survival of humanity. More than ever, it is becoming precious and scarce in so many places of the world, but especially in California as we watch our reservoirs, rivers and waterfalls decline and disappear. As the environmental clock is ticking, water needs to be at the forefront of our conversation. Water is one of the elements of nature and it means many things to many people: rebirth, creativity, lifeforce, purity, renewal. All these interpretations will invite the public to engage with water with the hopes that they will contribute to water saving efforts in their communities and think about our impact on it, and by extension, on our planet that will be home for humanity in the future.
Collaboration is increasingly important in addressing global challenges. Are you planning in the future to collaborate with scientists, environmentalists, or other artists in the creation of your works?
Yes, I’m currently investigating certain areas of climate change with environmentalists and scientists, as well as people in other disciplines so that I can continue my personal education for my own work. I want to understand the complexities of environmentalism on a deeper level and from different angles.
A recent opportunity I have received is that I have been invited to be part of the Culture Summit 2024 in Abu Dhabi as a speaker. The Culture Summit is an annual global forum that convenes leaders from the fields of arts, design, heritage, media, museums, public policy and technology, to identify ways in which culture can transform societies and communities worldwide. This is an excellent chance for collaboration and future conversations between disciplines.
Multimedia art often allows for immersive and interactive experiences. How do you use these elements to engage your audience more deeply in the narrative of environmental fragility?
Multimedia works allow me to connect with younger generations and also make the viewing experience more diverse and inclusive. So far I have made video installations, photo sculptures and used Augmented Reality to enhance my projects. This type of work helps the public engage with it more, and by extension, with the theme of environmentalism. I hope that through it I can inspire behavioral curiosity and effect real change in our actions.
Climate change is a dynamic and evolving issue. How do you stay informed about the latest scientific findings and global developments, and how does this ongoing research influence your artwork?
I subscribe to online publications— some are related specifically to environmental themes and others are worldwide news outlets. I'm also a part of ecoartspace: an organization that brings together artists, thinkers, and environmental activists that focus on environmental issues.
The most active and practical impacts on my career comes from my participation in a group of professionals in the Los Angeles art world (gallerists, curators, and artists) who are tackling the issue of how to make our work carbon neutral.
The role of art in advocating for social and environmental change is significant. How do you envision your work contributing to a broader dialogue about climate change, and what impact do you hope it has on raising awareness and inspiring action?
A big component in the solution to our global environmental crisis is to educate the population on the world’s natural resources, their endangerment, and concrete actions that every single being can take. My work as an artist is to renew awareness and admiration for our natural resources that will transform into specific actions to help ensure the survival of nature in all its forms. I want to reach a wide audience and so many of my projects are public art works that many people can experience. My intention is that my work can contribute to this mission with depth, beauty, grace, and wonder.
As an artist addressing urgent global challenges, how do you balance creating aesthetically compelling works and delivering a powerful message about environmental issues?
I have always created contemplative and visually attractive works. For me this is instinctual, not a choice I make. I don’t want the public to freeze when they are confronted with my work but to feel welcome and included. I aim to create hope through beauty in the natural world, which I believe will encourage people to want to protect and preserve our precious earth.
In 2019, I showed my Iceberg series in a solo exhibition at LAX in Terminal 7, titled “A Letter to the Future”. I created beautiful and monumental pieces, many with pastel and bright colors to produce a sense of wonder, joy, and contemplation in the viewers. Although I talked about serious issues, I wanted to present them through beauty and light, so the public would be attracted to them, and after that first encounter, my hope is that they would start having a dialogue with the works and reflect on deep issues. Art is an instigator for thought and change, and my role in this process is to create opportunities for dialogue to happen.
