Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources

© Damien Hirst and Science Ltd. All rights reserved /2016, ProLitteris, Zurich. Photo: Prudence Cuming Associates Ltd

Damien Hirst

Bristol, 1965 –

The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living (1991) Glass, painted steel, silicone, monofilament, shark and formaldehyde solution, 217 x 542 x 180 cm

Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources know more

The International Geneva website invites you to take a fresh look at the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by revisiting them through the lens of art.

Seventeen famous works of art for 17 goals. From the Renaissance to contemporary art, from Giorgione to Abdessemed and from Bruegel to Hazoumè, the artists we have selected speak to the challenges of the modern world. They offer a highly personal point of view, tinged at times with poetry, violence or irony. Beyond the usual statistics, they illustrate the emotions, suffering and contradictions underlying the SDGs. They invite us to question the exact nature of the goals set by the UN. In his painting of a young beggar, the Spanish artist Murillo contrasts the misery and squalor of his subject’s situation with the child’s grace and innocence. He thus offers a particular reading of poverty. Art also reminds us that our most valuable resource for achieving the SDGs by 2030 is our creativity.

What is your favourite development goal or work of art? Share them on your social networks or join the conversation on Twitter #SDGsART and #GlobalGoals.