It is no secret that humanity’s ability to transform nature can lead to our own selfdestruction. On one hand, the progress we have made in knowledge and technology has allowed us to accomplish things once unimaginable—such as traveling long distances in a relatively short time or communicating instantly with people across the world. On the other hand, the excessive consumption of natural resources and the destruction of ecosystems are severely damaging the conditions that sustain life on this planet, both for us and for other species.

I come from a generation that has been warned since childhood about the need to take care of the environment. Through media and educational institutions, we are constantly reminded to recycle, plant trees, and take shorter showers if we want to ensure a livable present and future for our world. The consequences of disrupting nature’s cycles are becoming increasingly evident, posing a threat to everyone—whether we are aware of it or not.

The paradox is that these same media outlets and educational institutions also bombard us with a vision of success that is largely based on environmental degradation in the pursuit of wealth and its display. We are sold the idea that financial success is the only valid form of achievement, and our senses are constantly stimulated with movies, series, songs, stories, and videos that encourage us to admire people flaunting gold chains, recklessly spending money on more cars than they can drive, more alcohol than they can consume, and more houses than any human being truly needs.

In other words, the education and information we receive are deeply contradictory: on one hand, we are warned to consume less, while on the other, we are fed the belief that life is only worth living if we consume as if there were no tomorrow. This contradiction may help explain why there is not enough collective will to fundamentally change the course of things. Life continues for many as if nothing is happening, despite the fact that we are crossing irreversible thresholds in terms of the damage we are inflicting on the planet.

Perhaps an alternative for raising awareness lies in finding new ways to expose the causes and consequences of our actions. Considering that we are dealing with a global problem, it is crucial for humanity to unite in a common effort to stop its march toward the abyss. We can no longer blindly trust that technological development will solve everything for us. In my view, we urgently need a shift in how we relate to the world around us, both individually and collectively.

I firmly believe that art is a powerful tool for transforming reality and the most effective vehicle for communication between human beings. Getting the majority of the global population to rally behind a common cause is a daunting task, but it is essential for our survival as a species. Ideologies and religions have failed in this endeavor—perhaps because their doctrines and dogmas are too narrow-minded for such a complex reality.

Art, on the other hand, allows for the interpretation and expression of both the inner andouter worlds with greater freedom, without the need to conform to the prejudices and norms of the social groups to which we belong. Through activities such as painting, sculpture, music, dance, and literature (the latter being somewhat limited by language barriers), we can send meaningful messages to people from different human communities and build bridges between our own worldviews and those of others.