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Turkish artist and architect Rifat Baltaoglu is showing five works at the U.N. climate summit COP31 in Antalya, using art to draw attention to the climate crisis, humanity’s relationship with nature, and environmental responsibility.
Baltaoglu combines his architectural background with an approach he calls "advanced transformation," turning materials that have reached the end of their useful life into artworks with new meaning.
For him, transformation means more than reusing materials: It also means questioning how people relate to the natural world.
The works on display at the 31st Conference of the Parties to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change span themes from the vital importance of water and the memory held by trees to the fragility of the natural world and the ideas of time and patience.
His piece "The Last Drop" points to the threat of dwindling water resources, while "The Last Leaf" highlights nature’s delicate balance and the losses that could follow.
Through his works, Baltaoglu aims to show how the climate crisis connects to everyday life and individual choices. His presence at COP31 is intended to invite viewers to reflect on their own responsibility for the future of nature, according to the announcement.
Born in Istanbul, Baltaoglu graduated from the architecture department at Yildiz Technical University. Alongside his architectural practice, he continues to create art centered on transformation, and his works have been shown in Istanbul, London, Venice, Miami, and Rome.
Working in sculpture and installation, Baltaoglu explores material, memory, and people’s relationship with their surroundings, giving waste materials a new purpose and meaning.
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