DRAWDOWN: Five Building Projections, One Empowering Message About Climate Change
- Observatory
- Oct 25, 2021
- 2 min read
Updated: Apr 26
Observatory has always existed at the intersection of commercial production and artistic purpose. Most of what we do lives on tour stages and in event spaces — spectacular, temporary, and experienced in the moment. But some of the most meaningful work we've made has been designed for public space, for anyone who happens to walk past, with a message that genuinely matters.
DRAWDOWN is one of those projects.
Commissioned by Collusion — a Cambridge-based arts organisation that creates ambitious projects in unexpected places — DRAWDOWN ran from 25 October to 24 November in King's Lynn, Norfolk, marking Ben Sheppee's first major installation in the town. The work consisted of five large-scale building projections, each exploring how the effects of climate change can be actively reversed.
Read the full commission announcement: LSi Online — Ben Sheppee of Observatory creates DRAWDOWN for Collusion.
The Thinking: Empowerment, Not Anxiety
The title comes from the concept of carbon drawdown — the process of actively removing CO₂ from the atmosphere through natural and technological means. It's a term most people haven't heard, despite representing one of the most significant bodies of climate science and practice in the world.
Ben's instinct was not to create another piece of climate anxiety art. Instead, DRAWDOWN took a deliberately constructive angle — presenting practical, proven solutions in a way that offered empowerment rather than despair.
"I personally feel like everyone has a general awareness and understanding of climate change, but many people feel ineffective as individuals to have an impact. I wanted to highlight the practical solutions in a way that provides empowerment through awareness." — Ben Sheppee, LSi Online
Projection as a Public Medium
Large-scale building projection is one of the oldest tools in Observatory's repertoire — Ben's career began with slide projectors blended into nightclub backdrops, and the practice of throwing light and imagery onto architectural surfaces has remained a thread through everything we've done since.
What makes building-scale projection particularly powerful is its publicness. There are no tickets, no admission, no invitation required. The work exists in shared space, visible to anyone who passes through — a democratic quality that felt exactly right for a subject that belongs to everyone.
Observatory Beyond the Stage
DRAWDOWN is part of a broader thread in Observatory's work that connects commercial production and artistic purpose. The skills we deploy for arena tours and brand activations can serve cultural and civic purposes with equal power. We're always interested in conversations about public art, environmental commissions, and work that sits outside the conventional event brief.
Source: LSi Online — Ben Sheppee of Observatory creates DRAWDOWN for Collusion. Commissioned by Collusion, King's Lynn, October–November 2021.
