28–29 June 2025 | Hertie School, University of Governance in Berlin

Following the success of the first three Drishya Kala Klima exhibitions, the fourth edition happened at the Hertie School as a part of the Hertie Summit 2025.

Sanyam Bajaj returned to the Hertie School in 2025—not just as an alumnus, but as a storyteller. Having graduated with a Master of Public Policy in 2024, with a thesis rooted in political communication and its power to shape public understanding, he arrived not only to reconnect—but to provoke reflection.

His exhibition, “Climate Narratives – An Immersive Alumni Experience”, transformed the Homecoming Brunch at the Hertie School on 28–29 June 2025 into something deeper: a space where art, policy, and emotion could collide.

As visitors stepped into the Forum, they weren’t just entering a gallery—they were walking into a landscape of climate emotion. The space had been transformed. From the ceiling hung strips of uneven black cloth, gently swaying with movement and breath, creating a feeling of walking through heaviness, uncertainty—perhaps even grief. These floating fragments formed a corridor of sorts, leading toward a striking installation of books suspended mid-air. They appeared as if frozen in time, mid-fall, mid-thought—symbolising a world overflowing with knowledge, yet paralysed in action.

To the right, along the walls, Sanyam’s artwork drew people into layered stories of stillness, change, and belonging. Some were framed. Some not. A few leaned inside cracked and broken frames—a quiet commentary on what happens when we fail to act in time, when structures—both physical and societal—begin to fracture under the weight of crisis.

In the very centre of the room hung a mirror. Quiet. Simple. Yet undeniably powerful. It didn’t shout. It reflected. And in doing so, it invited everyone present to pause—not just to witness the climate crisis unfolding around them, but to confront the roles they themselves play within it. Not as distant observers, but as participants.

At the edge of the room, a Climate Clock ticked steadily—its numbers counting down in collaboration with the global initiative, a reminder of how little time we have left to #ActInTime. Next to it, a plant invited alumni to write wishes, hopes, or personal climate commitments—messages tucked between leaves, like soft declarations of intent. Nearby, a booklet told the full story of the exhibition—image by image, idea by idea—offering deeper insight for those who wanted to carry the experience beyond the room.

The exhibition wasn’t static. It breathed. It asked. It nudged.

And for the 80–100 alumni who wandered through, it wasn’t just a return to campus. It was an invitation to begin again—with more urgency, more clarity, and more heart. What started as an art exhibition evolved into a participatory policy intervention—one that asked not just what is happening, but what will you do?

Climate Narratives – An Immersive Alumni Experience didn’t aim to deliver answers. It aimed to restore urgency, build emotional connection, and call for action rooted in empathy and shared responsibility.

Picture Credits/ Ibrar Hossein & Sanyam Bajaj