WOKmedia (Julie Mathias and Wolfgang Kaeppner ), Once, chopsticks, 2010
WOKmedia created this installation to force viewers to think twice about their consumption: millions of trees a year are chopped down to produce chopsticks.
Suzanne Husky, Rock Garden, textiles, foam, 2004
Nicole Dextras, Weedrobes
Made with fruits, weeds, flowers and leaves, ‘Weedrobes’ is the delightful series of meticulously detailed, perishable gowns, coats and suits by Canadian environmental artist Nicole Dextras. Striking a careful balance between style and commentary, the message behind Weedrobes’ is aimed squarely at the not-always-so-sustainable practices of the fashion industry…After constructing her pieces, Dextras photographs each Weedrobe with a model and they are sent out to “engage the public” by interacting with passerby. Afterwards, each garment is left to be ‘reclaimed’ and to decompose naturally…Ultimately, the point of these ephemeral robes is to get people to see past the glamorous exterior and at the larger life cycles behind the fashion industry. (via)
We love how Hiroshi Fuji encourages environmentalism by recycling 50,000 toys in this colorful installation piece.
Fuji is a well-known installation artist and social activist born in Kagoshima City and working all around the globe. He produces large-scale installations, performances and events with a focus on the community and the use of discarded materials. For his latest show, recycled toys were collected from about 1,000 locations – shops, parks, museums, private homes and community centers all over Japan – to be reused in creative activities like public workshops or art installations.
This brilliant installation brings up childhood memories exposing visitors to random old stuff. From Mickey Mouse to Doraemon, colorful plastic toys become giant monsters or landscapes thanks to Fuji’s creative eye. A project based on education, entertainment and cooperation activities between kids and grown-ups, this magical toy landscape is in fact a big statement on trash and its huge creative potential. (via)
Stephen Ives, sculpture created out of recycled children’s toys
We love how Sophie Truong recycles everyday materials into beautiful sculptures.
Stephen Ives, Mr. Dictator head installation, recycled children’s toys
Stephen Ives, Ives (Emotional Swiss Army Knife), found objects, predominantly children’s toys
Stephen Ives creates sculptures out of found objects, predominantly children’s toys.
These installations in the Finnish countryside utilize nature to create new sculptural forms. These works symbolize the connection between man and nature, as man owes his success to the bounty of nature and nature is as alive as human beings are. Environmental works of art try to draw attention to the beauty of our natural landscape to remind us that we should preserve our planet.
One day each year – April 12 in 2014 – people all over the world visit local museums and galleries to look at art slowly. Participants look at five works of art for 10 minutes each and then meet together over lunch to talk about their experience. That’s it. Simple by design, the goal is to focus on the art and the art of seeing.
