This exhibition at the Natural History Museum Vienna explores the critical role of glaciers as sensitive climate indicators, highlighting their rapid melting worldwide and within the Alps. Through the comparative landscape photography of Jürgen Merz, the exhibition illustrates the beauty of disappearing mountain environments and prompts reflection on climate change.
Glaciers serve as crucial indicators of our warming planet, with over 99% of them currently melting at an accelerated pace. While some glacial retreat is natural during interglacial periods, recent decades have seen a dramatic increase in this process. The exhibition 'Glaciers out of balance' at the Natural History Museum Vienna focuses on this phenomenon, particularly its impact on the glaciers of the Alps. These glaciers, which reached their last peak around 1850 after growing during the "Little Ice Age," are now rapidly disappearing, with forecasts suggesting Austria could be largely ice-free within 40 to 45 years. The exhibition uses the work of photographer Jürgen Merz, who captures glaciers from various perspectives, including classic landscapes and historical comparisons. Merz's comparative images, juxtaposing current views with historical photographs, powerfully illustrate the extent of glacier retreat across the Alpine region, aiming to showcase the vanishing beauty of these mountains and encourage critical reflection on climate change. His portfolio also includes documentation of glacier caves, capturing abstract structures and patterns within the ice through close-ups and drone photography.
