20 October 2021
The ‘climate stripes' designed by Ed Hawkins has become the University of Reading's first digital artwork to join its art collection.
Joining a sketch by Rubens, cubist paintings by Max Weber, and a wide range of other paintings, prints, and sculptures, Climate Stripes will now be curated and maintained as part of the University's rich collection of artwork, built up over a century of study and research of fine art.
The accession of two digital versions of the climate stripes comes in the run-up to the COP26 talks in Glasgow, where the climate stripes will be on display in several locations, showing world leaders and visitors the compelling reality of global warming over more than a century.
As well as being freely available to download via the showyourstripes.info website, a new range of sustainable merchandise has been developed by Heritage Label and has launched in partnership with ArtUK. The range is now available via the ArtUK online store.
Organisers hope the new range of items - including stripes facemasks, mugs and posters - will help to spark new conversations about climate change, while proceeds will support the University of Reading's work in climate change, research and education, and the work of its museums and collections.
Professor Hawkins said: "I am pleased and humbled that my image, which I first designed purely as a simple data visualisation, has been recognised by the University of Reading art collection as a piece of art in itself.
"While the climate stripes have now been used across the world by millions of different people and organisations, their purpose remains almost identical to when I first created them - to spark conversations about our warming planet. I hope their inclusion in the University's digital archives will help us to continue such conversations for as long as they are required."
Naomi Lebens, art collection curator at the University of Reading, said: "Accessioning these two images as the first digital artworks in the University's collection connects to the spirit of openness that lies behind the stripes, which are freely available for anyone to use for any purpose.
"As part of the University art collection, Climate Stripes will be preserved as a key moment in the University's history, as well as opening up new engagement with the role of digitally produced artworks in our growing collection."
Professor Hawkins will also step into the world of music and fashion on Tuesday, 26 October, as part of a gala event at St James's, Piccadilly, London. Professor Hawkins will give a talk on the science of climate change, as part of an evening of entertainment that also features singer Emeli Sande and organist Anna Lapwood. Find tickets >>>
We are in the process of finalising our postgraduate taught courses for 2026/27 entry. In the meantime, you can view our 2025/26 courses.
