Close the Justice Gap: COP17 Art Action Calls for Voices to Be Heard
At the UN biodiversity conference COP17 in Yerevan, artists presented a collective mural about justice, rights and the interconnectedness of all life. The presentation also included a call to free Daria Egereva and Natalia Leongardt.
At the centre of the composition is a chasm that animals are trying to fill by carrying stones. As the artists explained, this image represents the “justice gap”. The work reminds viewers that discussions about the future of biodiversity must take account of other living beings, who cannot speak for themselves at the conference.
According to its creators, the words painted on the mural help convey the animals’ voices. Their vision is linked to the goal of living in harmony with nature: justice must encompass not only human society, but also our relationships with the wider living world.
The work began with creative activities at a youth summit, where participants drew butterflies incorporating words and messages. The artists had hoped to continue the collaborative process at the conference itself. However, they said they were unable to hold the planned workshop there. They therefore completed the mural away from the conference venue before presenting it to COP17 participants.
Art as a Way to Be Heard
Speakers at the presentation described art as an additional space for expressing demands for justice, beyond negotiating rooms and formal interventions.
A representative of the Women’s Caucus recalled the women who defend their territories at the risk of their own lives. She stressed that recognition of their contributions must also be reflected in negotiated texts: their protection, safety and wellbeing require concrete commitments.
Another speaker highlighted how art can convey alternative ways of seeing the world and taking action, particularly when space for independent voices is restricted. The mural brings images of the people, plants, forests, mountains and oceans under discussion back into the conference rooms.
A Call to Free Daria and Natalia
At the close of the presentation, Vyacheslav Shadrin spoke about the repression of 17 December 2025 and the imprisonment of Daria Egereva and Natalia Leongardt.
He stressed that speaking up for Indigenous Peoples’ rights and defending their lands and nature is not terrorism. He called for the release of persecuted activists and expressed his hope of meeting Daria and Natalia again in freedom.
The discussion of justice thus took on a concrete human dimension. While an international conference debates the protection of nature, people who have devoted many years to that work remain behind bars, unable to participate in those discussions.
Speakers at the COP17 art action.
Photos courtesy of participants in the COP17 art action.
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