'The Art Tech Zoo: When Nature Becomes Your Co-CEO': Orsolya-Maria Pászkán, Joep van Lieshout
Monkey Rock: A Species Corner for Nature at Climate Hub Davos is a temporary public art installation presented during World Economic Forum week in Davos.
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Why A MonkeyRock, An Electro Wonder Tree, and A Banana Can Solve A Post-Climate Crisis World and Generate Long-Term Sustainable Wealth
MonkeyRock: A Species Corner for Nature by AVL & Climate Basecamp x The Art Tech Zoo by Pászkán @Climate Hub Davos by GreenUp January 2026
The Provocation
At first glance, this sounds absurd: a monkey sculpture, a battery-powered tree made from e-waste, and a banana solving the climate crisis while creating wealth.
But that's exactly the point.
The absurdity mirrors our current system - where a duct-taped banana sells for $6.2M at Art Basel Miami while nature's 3.8 billion years of R&D goes ignored. Where speculative capital creates bubbles instead of solutions. Where quarterly earnings trump evolutionary wisdom.
This presentation flips the script:
What if the "absurd" objects contain real intelligence?
What if nature's teachers (the monkey) + prophetic art (the tree) + our broken value systems (the banana) = the actual roadmap to post-climate prosperity?
Thesis: Long-term sustainable wealth comes from Art x Science x Solution - using nature as strategy advisor, prophetic art as early warning system, and biomimicry as competitive advantage
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The installation was conceived by Joep van Lieshout and Prof. Gail Whiteman.
Climate Basecamp, Atelier Van Lieshout and Cats Do Climate are thankful to Minderoo Foundation, GreenUp, Climate Hub Davos, Arctic Basecamp, and the Nature and Climate Impact Team at the University of Exeter for their support, contributions and tireless work to bring the Monkey to Davos. Thank you.
These events may be recorded. By participating in the event, you consent to audio and possible video capture. These recordings may be used for various purposes including research, promotional and documentation. If you have any concerns, please reach out to us at [email protected]