Action against Ark Royal, a British ship carrying nuclear weapons, Hamburg, Germany

Greenpeace started as a small group of individuals intent on standing up to the corporate and industrial giants that dominate the world. Its worldwide members are motivated by the will to defend the earth as a place that we all share and that must be preserved beyond state divisions. Greenpeace activists contribute to the deconstruction of the myth that modern science and technology are the great liberators of mankind- a myth that has defended terrible technological and humanitarian crimes under the rhetoric of progress. Greenpeace does not limit itself to mere words in its struggle to defend certain collective ideals. Many of its eloquent actions comprise an aesthetic perspective and could be considered performances or installations. In this manner, it implements Joseph Beuys's concept of "social sculpture" meant to alter people's awareness. The actions of Greenpeace erase the frontiers that separate art and life. The decision to invite Greenpeace to participate in SITE Santa Fe's biennial is representative of the ways in which the essence of art and its social role are expanding.
Text written by Rosa Martínez for the exhibition catalog.