Leiden University Student Repository

Bie, Mirte de (2026)

At the Intersection of Art and Science: How World Map Series Fosters Public Engagement in the Anthropocene

Bachelor thesis | Kunstgeschiedenis (BA)

Climate change in the Anthropocene is a slow and often invisible process that is difficult to emotionally grasp through scientific data alone. Art plays an essential role in bridging the gap between scientific knowledge and public engagement in climate change discourse. This thesis explores how Diane Burko’s World Map Series (2019) visualizes the consequences of climate change. Using concepts like the Anthropocene, Jennifer Peeples’ toxic sublime, and Jane Bennett’s theory of nature’s agency, the analysis shows how the painting series combines scientific imagery, scale, and increasing abstraction to turn abstract data into emotional experiences. World Map Series makes ecological damage both beautiful and disturbing, eliciting reflection and a sense of urgency. By presenting nature as an active agent instead of a passive backdrop, World Map Series challenges anthropocentric thinking and shows how art can create awareness about the climate crisis and foster public engagement in...Show moreClimate change in the Anthropocene is a slow and often invisible process that is difficult to emotionally grasp through scientific data alone. Art plays an essential role in bridging the gap between scientific knowledge and public engagement in climate change discourse. This thesis explores how Diane Burko’s World Map Series (2019) visualizes the consequences of climate change. Using concepts like the Anthropocene, Jennifer Peeples’ toxic sublime, and Jane Bennett’s theory of nature’s agency, the analysis shows how the painting series combines scientific imagery, scale, and increasing abstraction to turn abstract data into emotional experiences. World Map Series makes ecological damage both beautiful and disturbing, eliciting reflection and a sense of urgency. By presenting nature as an active agent instead of a passive backdrop, World Map Series challenges anthropocentric thinking and shows how art can create awareness about the climate crisis and foster public engagement in climate discourse.Show less

Diane Burko

World Map Series

Anthropocene

Toxic Sublime

Nature’s Agency

Author

Bie, Mirte de

Faculty

Faculty of Humanities

Supervisors

Noach S.
Martinez Sevilhano F.

ECTS Credits

10

Language

en