It is a natural process: composting turned into art and renewable energy.

“So these are banana peels for my smoothie this morning that I broke up so that the worms would have an easier time digesting,” said Alison Coplan, senior curator at the Swiss Institute.

The “Compost Oracle” is the star attraction of a new exhibition at the Swiss Institute in the East Village.


What You Need To Know

  • The Swiss Institute has climate change and sustainability as its main themes

  • A “Compost Oracle” is the star attraction of the institute's new exhibit

  • The museum is not only showing climate-related artwork, but also carefully measuring its carbon emissions

It will power an earth battery connected to a speaker sounding prophecies. Conceived by Finnish artist Jenna Sutela, it was inspired by a popular muppet.

“Marjorie was a trash pile who was also something of a kind of fortune teller. Marjorie knew everything because she had everyone’s trash inside of her, and so she was able to make prophecies about the future,” Coplan said.

Climate change and sustainability have been major themes at the small museum since Stefanie Hessler took the helm a year ago.

“My vision for the institution was really to center one of the most urgent topics of our time within the institution, and an arts organization of our scale can be more experimental in our approach,” Hessler said.

And it is not only by showing artwork but also by doing that with the Swiss Institute is pushing a sustainability agenda, carefully measuring carbon emissions of the whole operation.  

“I just analyzed all of our credit card reports and our banking statements to identify every cab ride, every every flight, every train,” said Christine Egaña Navin, the institute’s director of sustainability.

The museum is also a space for other contemporary artists.

“I think the biggest thing here is discovery,” notes Christian Kjaerulf-Praksti, director of advancement at the museum.

Like Jac Leirner, showing her “Blue Phase” sculpture, a metaphor of a high-inflation period in her native Brazil.

“When the value of the paper of the money was even higher than the value of the money itself,” Leirner said.

The Swiss Institute is an independent nonprofit organization.

Entrance to the museum is free.