Court for Intergenerational Climate Crimes opens in London

Serpentine is launching a new chapter of the Court for Intergenerational Climate Crimes (CICC) titled "The British East India Company on Trial." This project is a collaboration between academic Radha D’Souza and artist Jonas Staal. The opening event will take place on April 4 from 6-8 PM, followed by the CICC hearings on April 5 and 6. The exhibition will run on Thursdays to Sundays from 1-6 PM until April 24. There will also be a CICC School program from April 8 to 24. The CICC aims to hold public hearings to address climate crimes committed by states and corporations. It focuses on the effects of these crimes across generations, impacting both ecologies and communities. The new chapter will be hosted in Ambika P3, a former testing facility in London, where the British East India Company was established in 1600. During the hearings, witnesses will include plants that were significant to the colonial and industrial efforts of the British Crown and the East India Company. The audience will act as a public jury, deliberating on the company’s historical actions and their lasting effects. The hearings will challenge the concepts of intergenerational justice, asking how society should approach reparations for crimes that affect multiple generations. The series of public hearings will focus on different aspects of the British East India Company’s role in historical and ongoing ecological damage. Attendance is free for all events, but registration is necessary. The organizers encourage participants to stay for the full session of any hearing they attend. The project is supported by various partners and funding sources, emphasizing a collective effort for climate justice.