Vincenzo Cohen

Companions

Biography Vincenzo Cohen (birth name, Vincenzo Cohen) is an Italian classically trained nature painter and photographer. In 2005 he graduated in Fine Arts from Fine Arts Academy and in 2007 he achieved the second master's degree in Archaeology from la Sapienza University in Rome. Polyhedric artist, his eclectic production is the result of a continuous process of historical scientific research addressed to the representation of cultural content with a social and naturalistic background.

Vincenzo is involved in wildlife conservation and he travels through Africa and the Middle East to get inspiration for his art production. His work consists of reworking life and travel experiences through an expressionist language, using photography or through the combination of both artistic techniques.

Curator Comments

Terrestrial ecosystems and their wildlife are suffering from habitat loss and degradation at an unprecedented scale, with the main drivers being land-use change and exploitation. Add to this illegal taking and illegal killing of wildlife and climate change, and we have significant and growing pressure on wild species of fauna and flora. Environmental crime has become the fourth largest crime at the global level. These are the results of the majority of humankind being born into eco-pathic societies that teach our youngest that we’re the pinnacle of creation, dominating all other species on earth and fostering the human-centric belief that earth’s resources are ours for the taking. COP26 is a suitable event for a stocktake on human behavior.

We must acknowledge that trends in habitat loss and deterioration have been less severe, or even avoided in areas held or managed by Indigenous Peoples and local communities. Called Tribal Peoples, First Peoples, Native Peoples, and Indigenous Peoples, these original inhabitants call themselves by many names in their more than 4,000 unique languages and constitute about 6.2% of the world’s population. It is estimated that Indigenous territories contain 80% of the earth’s biodiversity and this is no coincidence: it’s the Indigenous Knowledge, cultures, rituals that we can learn from. They respect and understand that the human species is intertwined in the web of life with all other species, flora, and fauna. It's our duty to protect the Indigenous Peoples who are increasingly under assault from extractive industries such as mining, oil exploration, logging, and agro-industrial projects. Without their knowledge, there is little hope for our human species or our animal companions.