Gloria Benedikt
How artists can support the global transformation towards sustainability
Dance and music are forms of nonverbal communication that are deeply ingrained in human nature. But are they reaching their full potential in our modern world? And why are highly trained artists, destined to work in the world’s biggest theaters, opera houses, and concert halls, confined to telling the same old stories about the past instead of shaping the future?
In 2007, these questions motivated Benedikt to pursue her academic studies at Harvard University. During her daily commutes between theater and university, she grew interested in exploring art's potential when connected to other disciplines.
At the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Benedikt embarked on a pioneering journey that spanned over half a decade. She explored how partnerships between artists and scientists can effectively support sustainability transformations. In the process, she collaborated with numerous artists and scientists to develop and present multimedia theater productions around the world. Her work has led to the creation of a framework for artists interested in engaging with scientists to support cultural shifts towards sustainability.
In 2017, IIASA published The Art of Systems Analysis, the first publication co-authored by Benedikt, the Dutch composer Merlijn Twaalfhoven, and the Canadian playwright Chantal Bilodeau.
In 2020, Benedikt was the lead author of Science and Art for Life's Sake—How Partnerships between Artists and Scientists Can Support the Sustainability Transformation, the first extensive report on the science-art-sustainability interface. It addresses questions such as: Why is it essential for artists and scientists to work together to address the ecological crisis? What exactly can artists do to support the transformation toward a regenerative existence? How can we tell constructive stories about the future?
In 2022, Benedikt was invited to discuss the European Green Deal's Cultural Project, the European Bauhaus, at the European Parliament in Brussels.
In the climate podcast produced by the news magazine Profil, Benedikt analyzes why established art systems have largely failed to respond to the climate crisis and emphasizes the crucial role of narrative art in the transformation toward sustainability.
In 2023, Benedikt was one of twenty authors from around the world who contributed to the first academic volume on theater's engagement with the climate crisis, published by The Drama Review (Cambridge University Press).
In 2025, Benedikt developed "The Road Not Taken," a performative lecture set in 2050, which was first presented at UNAM's Science and Art Festival in Mexico City. It analyzes the cultural backlash against the sustainability transformation as well as why narrative art could serve as an antidote to algorithm-driven, populist storytelling, and how it could help stabilize our biological and social ecosystems.