New Virtual Exhibition: “Petra Kelly: Life and Legacy of a Transnational Green Activist”

We at the Rachel Carson Center are excited to announce the release of the virtual exhibition “Petra Kelly: Life and Legacy of a Transnational Green Activist,” curated by Stephen Milder and Andreas Jünger. The exhibition follows the life story of Petra Kelly—social activist, cofounder of the West German Green Party, and recipient of the Right Livelihood Award—considering her transnationalism and the way her visions and ideas have informed green politics.

Unknown photographer, 1979. © Archiv Grünes Gedächtnis (signature: FO-01662-01). All rights reserved.

About the Exhibition

Petra Kelly has been the subject of renascent popular interest. A recent novel has dramatized her life, she features prominently in histories and documentary films, and she has also become an important figure for ecological activists in many parts of the world.

Were she still alive, Kelly would have turned 75 in November 2022, and the Rachel Carson Center for Environment and Society (RCC) took the anniversary of her birthday as an opportunity to hold a conference focused on Kelly’s life and legacy. The conference’s mix of academic debate and discussions with Kelly’s contemporaries, as well as with artists and activists working with Kelly’s legacy today, prompted this virtual exhibition.

The exhibition shows how Kelly’s transatlantic childhood and education enabled her to become a transnational activist. It follows the connections to friends, companions, and fellow activists all over the globe that shaped her approach to green politics and underpinned her contributions to the peace movement. Examining how the German and international press reported on Kelly, the exhibition reflects on how her profile as a Green celebrity was shaped. An analysis of the spiritual dimensions of Kelly’s green politics demonstrates how “deep green” frameworks helped the activist to think beyond the boundaries of “politics as usual.” Finally, the exhibition looks at Kelly’s legacy, considering how her ideas and her career have resonated differently in different parts of the world.

Citation

Milder, Stephen, Andreas Jünger, Katharina Scharf, Amanda M. Nichols, Friederike Bruehoefener, and Adam Stone. “Petra Kelly: Life and Legacy of a Transnational Green Activist.” Environment & Society Portal, Virtual Exhibitions 2024, no. 1. Rachel Carson Center for Environment and Society. https://www.environmentandsociety.org/node/9772.