Zurich’s COP26 installation

With the world’s focus on COP26 and a prime opportunity to raise awareness of sustainability issues, Zurich Insurance Company Ltd commissioned a thought-provoking installation at the conference. Hosted by differing nations, COP26 was held in Glasgow, where the installation was placed at the heart of the event.

Working in collaboration with m ss ng p eces, an interactive statue was created to inspire individuals to join in harmony and take action for our planet.

As designers who consciously consider the environmental impact of our work, Michael Grubb Studio was delighted to be appointed to the project, delivering the lighting scheme for the installation.

The attention-grabbing statue symbolises a visual language of support. Each figure in the installation represents people from around the world joining together by joining elbows. The installation raises awareness of the fight on climate change; one that everyone can join, whether they take big or small actions.

An opening within the circle of figures leaves a deliberate space for visitors to stand within and make their pledge for climate change. When an individual takes that step, the statue is illuminated, bringing it to life, and shining a light on the pledge.

As a sign of optimism and hope, the installation is candidly named ‘What can go right?’.

Here at Michael Grubb Studio, sustainability is at the heart of our practice. We consider our carbon footprint in our design work by reusing products destined for waste. When working on the Zurich installation, we achieved a zero-carbon immersive experience, in collaboration with Stoane Lighting, who supplied a wide range of products to make the project possible.