The Robert Rauschenberg Foundation is addressing the issue of rising tides at the artist’s former compound in Captiva, Florida, where he lived from 1970 until his death in 2008. A report by the company Coastal Risk Consulting found that “the entirety of the property is at high risk of storm surge flooding” and a significant portion is likely to be underwater by 2045. “We may move buildings off the ground, create walkways…we have to look at what is feasible,” says Ann Brady, the director of the foundation’s residency programme.
In keeping with Rauschenberg’s own activism, the foundation is funding a series of films on climate change in partnership with the Sundance Film Festival. It has also hosted climate change-themed residencies to bring artists and scientists together on Captiva.