Sea Change

June 04, 2018

In Celebration of World Oceans Week, office revisits our interview with Cyrill Gutsch, founder of Parley for the Oceans, featured in issue 4 of our print magazine.

“When something is in chaos, or in crisis, or there are big problems that nobody wants to touch anymore, that is the best situation—the collapse or failure of a system is a perfect canvas for the new.” Such is the philosophy of Cyrill Gutsch, applied with great success over his decades-long career in branding and creative consultancy. He made a name for himself generating award-winning outside-the-box campaigns for major international clients, rescuing floundering brands and increasing the fortunes of profitable ones. But after the economy cratered in the late naughts, Cyrill and his team found themselves regrouping, and entertaining the idea of repositioning themselves as a collaboration network.

Interview by Marc Palatucci
Photography by Sacha Maric

“I always tried to enable organizations to adopt a culture of collaboration in-house, where specialists are otherwise siloed and don’t work together, and also to collaborate with external organizations or artists,” he explains. Whatever form his new endeavor took, he knew it would focus on a collaborative model, maintaining that the sharing of ideas across disciplines and departments is the “only right operating system for any kind of business.”

It was during that time of reevaluation that Cyrill chanced upon the story of Captain Paul Watson. Watson is an activist for marine conservation, and a controversial character— there is even debate as to whether he is indeed a captain— whose critics have branded him a terrorist and a criminal for his sometimes violent direct action approach. With the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, a non-profit marine protection organization he cofounded, Watson has spent much of the last forty years out on the open water ferociously defending ocean species and their habitat. Sea Shepherd has made headlines for chasing down poachers, tussling with dolphin hunters, scuttling whaling vessels, and sabotaging countless illegal marine operations, pissing off the authorities everywhere from Norway to Japan in the process. Forget pet causes and armchair activism—these guys are not fucking around. But in 2012 Paul Watson’s brazen actions in defense of the oceans began to catch up with him as he was arrested at Frankfurt’s Flughafen airport on an international warrant.

Gutsch was so taken with Watson’s story that he flew to Germany to meet the man, finding him to be—in spite of his reputation—sharp, eloquent, and “a super lovely guy, kind of a pirate version of Santa Claus.” In the confines of his lawyer’s offices, Watson enlightened Cyrill on his work mitigating the plight of the planet’s oceans, illustrating the crisis with such vividness that Cyrill was overcome. “I left that day with a promise to dedicate my life to the oceans,” Gutsch recalls. He returned from Germany on a mission, mobilizing his colleagues in the creative industry to determine how they could best channel their resources and expertise to effectively serve the cause. Key to his vision were the two main principles he took from his days in branding: crisis as a launchpad for innovation, and the need for interdisciplinary collaboration. “We felt we had to create a space, a forum where even opponents can go, where alliances are being forged, knowledge is being shared, where peace between mankind and nature is being negotiated. That was the original idea for Parley.”

Parley for the Oceans, the organization Cyrill would go on to found, has a number of functions and interconnected goals, all with the ultimate objective of conserving earth’s oceans. It operates primarily as a network, facilitating collaboration across the fields of business, government, activism, art and science. The success of each resulting partnership, whether in the form of technological invention, increased public recognition and engagement, new legislature, or environmentally conscious product development, is a victory for ocean conservation and an awareness builder for the cause. In addition, Parley hosts presentations and talks with the likes of Fabien Cousteau, David LaChapelle, Tom Sachs, Fisher Stevens and Julian Schnabel, everywhere from Berlin Fashion Week and Schnabel’s Palazzo Chupi to the floor of the UN General Assembly, disseminating information and raising the profile of marine conservation. By aligning the cause with distinguished thinkers and creators across diverse fields of interest, Parley has managed an impressive feat of branding, making the stereotypically dry and dull “product” of activism, for lack of a better word, cool. Cyrill knew that as a member of the creative industry his greatest resource is influence, wielding it to position the fight for the oceans as a trend that, as more people take notice, will continue to be propelled by its own momentum.

But once Parley’s got our attention, the cynics among us are bound to ask the frustrating, but obligatory question: Why should I care? Well according to Gutsch, if for nothing else, then for the most base and basic reason much of humanity cares about anything at all—self-interest. “Even if you don’t give a fuck about nature, we are destroying our own life by making this planet uninhabitable for mankind. It’s not even about saving the planet, it’s about saving ourselves.” Oceans constitute over seventy percent of the earth’s surface—it’s a ubiquitous statistic, but one that convincingly casts the vast bodies of water as the greatest collective component of our planet’s environment. Obvious as it may be, the ocean plays a critical part in maintaining a stable climate on earth, in large part for its role in absorbing excess carbon emissions and regulating the earth’s temperature. But human beings have been polluting and pillaging marine ecosystems irreparably, and without drastic, coordinated rehabilitative action we will soon suffer the wrath of an angry planet.

"But If the oceans die, we die"

Thanks in part to the efforts of Parley and its partners, the developed world is becoming increasingly aware of the fact that our oceans are in peril, and increasingly eager to get involved. But as Cyrill notes, his organization is solutions-based, and in their view charitable donations and corporate sponsorships, while perhaps well-intentioned, won’t suffice. To channel enthusiasm into meaningful action he knew they must first identify a shortlist of the highest priority issues that need fixing. “Pollution, including plastics, as well as overfishing and acidification and are the three major threats we focus on.” Of these three, Cyrill pegged the problem of plastic pollution as a perfect testing ground for one of Parley’s first full-scale campaigns of collaborative innovation. “We have to stop plastic pollution from occurring in the first place, and then also get that shit back out of nature, because it doesn’t belong there. So we decided to go in with a solution by creating a product. We saw ocean plastic not only as a problem, but also as a valuable resource for the fashion industry.” Parley runs a global cleanup network with over a hundred partner organizations that are already working to retrieve as much as possible of the approximated eight million metric tons of plastic waste that enter our oceans each year. Commodifying ocean plastic renders the network’s efforts doubly productive, simultaneously cleaning the oceans and harvesting a useful resource.

The next step was to find a like-minded company that would fully take on the cause and put this new recycled material to use, and when Parley landed Pharrell Williams as their frontman for ocean plastics brands clambered to get involved. “We had over five hundred collaboration requests from companies, but over ninety percent were bullshit,” Cyrill admits. “Companies that wanted to capitalize on the good publicity but weren’t truly willing to change.” Unwilling to compromise with a brand that was only in it for the press coverage, Parley held out for the perfect match, making progress with smaller-scale projects in the meantime, including a denim collection with G-Star Raw that incorporates yarn spun from ocean plastic fibers. After a two-year search they finally found their dream partner in Adidas. The legendary athletic brand had immeasurable clout and popularity, but what mattered to Parley most was their promise of unprecedented commitment, a pledge on which they’ve since followed through in full. “They’re going in heavily,” Cyrill says with satisfaction. “When we are working to invent materials it’s not like we just have our scientists sitting in their labs—we have their experts and specialists sitting in our labs.” The collaboration is already bearing fruit, most recently with a partially 3D-printed prototype of the Adidas Boost sneaker constructed from reclaimed and recycled ocean waste, showcased at the COP21 climate conference in Paris. The shoe should be officially released early this year. But Adidas has gone beyond developing a one-off showpiece, taking on additional initiatives to remove pollutant plastic microbeads from their bodycare products and cease use of plastic bags in all retail stores by mid-2016, setting impressive new industry standards.

“This is only possible,” Gutsch notes, “because the leaders of the brand, the CEO and the board, decided to go all-in.” Unfortunately such a profound level of dedication to sustainability is still a rarity among corporate brands. It’s true that more and more companies have been restructuring to include environmentally-focused management positions, the most prominent of which being that of Chief Sustainability Officer, but the scope and influence of these roles vary greatly. “Most of these companies don’t see any reason other than public pressure to do something for the environment, which is why a lot of sustainability managers are located in marketing or communications. But the real opportunity here is to make eco-innovation a main criterion of how your company is run, which is why the chief of sustainability should really report directly to the CEO.” The way Cyrill sees it, failing to commit to innovation now comes at the company’s own expense in the long run—the specter of mandatory sustainability measures may loom far enough in the distance to ignore for the moment, but to the forward-thinking the prospect represents a lucrative opportunity. Gutsch predicts that in the coming years, as ecologically unsound products, practices and materials are rejected by consumers and taxed, restricted, or banned by law, the need for sustainable alternatives will effect “a new gold rush for eco-innovation,” richly rewarding any early adopters and leaving the nearsighted holdouts to play catch-up.

Even at the individual level, staying ahead of the curve has its benefits. As a consumer, developing more environmentally conscious habits will influence those around you, and the sooner you make these changes, the greater your impact will be. Plus, if we regard marine conservationism the way Parley does, you have the unique opportunity to help spearhead what is fast becoming the next burgeoning supertrend. Cyrill’s advice for getting involved is to start by educating yourself. “First of all, learn more. Find Parley on Facebook and subscribe. Jacques Cousteau said, “People protect what they love,” and how can you love something if you don’t know it?” Next, he says, “Pick a battle. Go for plastic—it’s very simple, just cut down wherever you can, don’t use plastic bags, don’t ask for disposable utensils with your take-out, use reusable bottles instead of plastic ones.” Alternatively, one could focus on overfishing, another of Parley’s top threats to the oceans, which is so severe many scientists forecast that at our current rate of consumption all commercial fisheries will have disappeared by 2050. The recommended course of action in this case is a bit more blunt. “Honestly? Stop eating fish. Or try to drastically reduce it. A lot of fish is not even healthy anymore, it’s full of mercury and plastic.” Then there’s the persistent issue of carbon emissions—often thought of only as an air pollutant, carbon dioxide is in fact absorbed by the earth’s oceans in staggering quantities, throwing off the water’s pH balance with disastrous effects for marine life. “When it comes to acidification of our oceans and climate change, buy an electric car if you can afford it, or try not to use your car so much—and don’t eat red meat.” That last bit may come as a surprise, but it turns out the level of greenhouse gases generated by cattle farming and the beef industry are by some estimates even higher than those caused by fossil fuel-based transportation. The variety and scale of these threats to the ocean may seem overwhelming, but Cyrill advises not to try and tackle everything at once. “Just observe your own consumption behavior. And try, in a gentle way, to have influence on your professional and personal networks.”

Faced with the catastrophic state of the earth’s oceans, Cyrill Gutsch was inspired. With Parley for the Oceans he is amplifying the discussion of marine conservation from the high seas to the corporate boardrooms of the world, inviting scientists and skeptics, bohemians and bureaucrats to engage in a dialogue and work together towards a resolution. As a species it appears we’ve taken our oceans for granted, and caused them grave damage. We cannot reverse it, but we can choose to stop inflicting harm, and Parley can help. If you care to contribute, learn what you can, then do what you can. Once you know the facts, Cyrill’s simple guidance will ring as true for the CEO as for the curious, concerned civilian. “Be a role model. Start the conversation.” – END.

Learn more at Parley.tv and Facebook.com/parleyfortheoceans

Interview

Ode To Decades Past

By combining music, readings from prominent artists of the time, as well as a slideshow of images that capture the culture, Goldsmith’s presentation ushered the past into the present like a necromancer. And supernatural it was. Afterwards, Goldsmith invited guests to peruse the outside exhibit, a collection of RAMMELLZEE's life work, while slipping his shoes back on. After shaking the hands of his colleagues and admirers, office got a chance to talk to MoMA Poet Laureate and UbuWeb founder Kenneth Goldsmith who seemed to be in high demand for a comment.

Downtown '81 paints a picture of the downtown New York scene. Can you describe this scene for our readers?

Kenneth Goldsmith Although I was there, I really wasn’t there. I had come to NYC from Long Island to attend NYU in the fall of 1979. By that time, downtown had already been declared dead. I remember going to CBGB in 1979 and it was so dead—all the real action had finished there years before. By 1979, CBGB was a tourist trap. So much of it is myth. Was it great? Sure. But so is today. I think that the time that you’re living in New York City is the always the best time—except for just before you got there.

Was the emergence of this scene a social response to any particular phenomenon? Or just the natural evolution of a city?

KG I was there when the East Village took off and it was like the kids took over the playground. There was a gallery called Fun Gallery, for instance, that emphasized that it was going to be the opposite of Soho, which by then was established and touristy. Fun Gallery showed graffiti artists and lots of cartoony art. It was a lot of fun. Sadly, the fun didn’t last too long. Within a few years, a consumerist brand of conceptualism (a la Koons) had made headway into the East Village and seemingly overnight, thousands of figurative and expressionistic artists were out of fashion. Soho took over again and the East Village art scene died.

Did you know Rammellzee at all?

KG I must’ve run into him at parties or openings over the years, but I don’t recall meeting him. The name, unfortunately, was tossed into the huge movement of graffiti art, which was big for a year or two, and then kicked to the curb. This is the problem with isms—they eradicate individual practices. Now we see that Rammellzee was a visionary, a folk artist or outsider closer to, say, Reverend Howard Finster that to graffiti art; or you now feel the affinities with Sun Ra, which was impossible to see back then. The show is an eye opener and the best kind of revisionism or reevaluation of an important artist imaginable. Don’t miss it.

In what ways did his work embody New York, and in what ways have you seen it live on?

KG New York art today is more generous, more open, less hierarchical. It used to feel like there was only one way to be at a time and now it’s a vast horizontal practice, where things as disparate as conceptualism sit alongside figuration which hang next to graffiti, and they all seem to be in dialogue. Rammellzee was a visionary—he did everything—music, art, video, sculpture, etc.—and wore that proudly. That’s the way the future turned out, just as he predicted.

In regards to the concept of retrospection and honoring artists like these after death, do you see any aspect of insidiousness in that? Like passing people over in life.

KG I think it happens to artists constantly. Very few artists are rewarded in their life time and the minute they die everybody wants a piece of them. And you see it again ad again and I think it’s a shame. We should celebrate the living among us and not wait for someone to die to celebrate them.

How do you do that?

KG By being open. It’s hard to recognize history in the time you’re living. But our times are historical and they will be looked back at as such. So you have to stop being cynical and stop doubting people’s motives and you have to trust and you have to love and you have to open yourself up to the beauty that is around you in your own time. It’s hard to acknowledge that you are living in history. And it’s hard to acknowledge that your life may not be historical and others living walking this earth with you may. We all want to be historical. But we have to drop our ego and embrace the love that’s around us because life is really short.

It felt like in the time these artists were creating that there was a sense of urgency. Do you think that is still true?

KG I don’t think the creative impulse ever goes away. It’s as urgent for the young generation to be creating. Things gets historicized but I think people who are working on the web are doing historical work, as historical as this is. The unfortunate part is that the market usually decides what is valuable and what is not. And with so many artists working with ephemeral media on the web without a market, which I think is thrilling, I’m worried that if there’s no market validation how is history going to sift through geniuses among us?

I was just talking to someone about that. There is so much content out there, young artists are having to redefine what sets us apart.

KG They said the art world used to be really small but like I can tell you that 30, 35 years ago it was giant. And you were pushing to make yourself known, and it was an uphill battle, and it was impossible to get a show and it was impossible to get anyone in your studio and it was impossible to sell anything and “how am I going to do this.” And every kid coming out of art school in their 20’s faces the same exact situation as I did in 1984 when I got out of arts school. The same. No different.

Maybe this didn’t translate but what I meant by urgency, was like the urgency to respond to the social condition of the 70’s. I mean from the 60’s to the 70’s was such a huge jump.

KG Were living in giant jumping times right now.

You feel that sense of urgency?

KG Well I don’t cause I’m old but I look around me and I see young artists social justice activists artist feeling a tremendous sense of urgency and that’s history. That’s inspiring.