| Jan. 31, 2008 | Posted by: claudia |
2663 Urban Tumbleweeds — An MSLK Art Installation
At MSLK we’ve been thinking a lot about sustainable design and what we can do – both as designers and as a studio – to make this world a better place to live. Although the global trend toward sustainability has been intensively discussed and celebrated all over America, the reality is still alarming. One of the most common and ubiquitous signs of our use and waste is the plastic shopping bag. In cities, plastic bags are referred to as “urban tumbleweed” because of their omnipresent, weed-like quality.We came up with the idea to create a graphic statement on a grand scale, an art installation made out of 2663 plastic bags, or 1 second of the current US consumption, in order to bring awareness to our society’s mindless over consumption and its severe environmental impacts.We discovered that Socrates Sculpture Park in Long Island City is going to present a Spring Exhibition based on interpretations and responses to the motivations, goals, realities, politics, and practices of recycling. Coincidence or destiny? Who knows. We decided to apply and present them our idea of re-purposing wasted material into an art installation.Why Plastic Bags?Plastic bags are found littering our streets, caught in our trees and clogging our drains. But the problem is much more than a nuisance. Each year, hundreds of thousands of sea turtles, whales and other marine mammals die from eating discarded plastic bags mistaken for food. Perceived as free, the actual cost of plastic bags is becoming apparent in our landfills, where they are amassing. And with our rate of consumption ever increasing, there seems to be no end in sight.Our InstallationOur goal is to visually translate current statistics about this consumption into art, using the plastic bag as a symbol of over-consumption and convenience. We will link 2663 plastic bags to form a chain, representing the number of bags Americans consume in one second.
The chain will wind through Socrates Sculpture Park, entangled in trees, wrapped along fences, along the ground and way up in the air. Our installation is indicative of the plastic bag epidemic itself – silently encroaching ever closer on our lives.
Besides its visual effect, the installation also has an educational impact. Informational signage will be integrated periodically throughout, providing the audience with facts about the consumption of plastic bags, their environmental impact, and what can be done to change and improve the situation.
In addition, this installation will encourage community participation. We’ll set up drop off stations and collection centers locally to accumulate the donated bags and bring awareness to both the problem and installation.Bird’s eye view of the park:
The bags meander through the park, creating a guided path that visitors can follow. The chain becomes a narrative that is present throughout the visitor’s experience of the exhibition, encircling the artwork without being intrusive. Colored bags are grouped together in bursts to create a beautiful pattern.Lasting impressions
- Although uninteresting as a single item, the repetitions and the light, ethereal nature of the bags floating in the wind, create unexpected beauty.
- The sheer scale of this installation will be a must see in person.
- Each visitor will leave Socrates Sculpture Park thinking about their consumption habits and ways to make a change.
- Visitors are transformed from passive viewers into active participants. Engaging with this installation in unavoidable — visitors will have to walk under or step over the chain at various points to view the exhibition.
- Visitors are challenged to question what is art. Can plastic bags become art?
Socrates Sculpture Park’s Spring Exhibition is taking place from May through August 2008. The jury is expect to make a decision in March. We are excited and hope to get this chance to realize our proposal!
This is a wonderful idea that hopefully will be realized.
How does one get to be on the jury and excitely get to vote it in?
This is a good question. I honestly have no idea who’s on the jury, but it would be nice if you could join them and vote for us!
Sadly, we just received notice that our proposal was rejected. Socrates Sculpture Park and the 2008 Advisory Committee stated in their standard rejection letter that “limited funds and resources can only support a small number of projects”. We feel it is important to note that our community based project utilized free materials previously destined for the landfill. We were not asking for any money towards the effort.
Oh well, please feel free to join us on May 4th for the exhibit opening! We look forward to seeing the eco-statements that were accepted. Cocktails will be available at the MSLK studio after the event!
[...] bags have been on our minds quite a bit these days as MSLK prepares for our art project in Nevada at the end of the [...]
What is done with the bags once the installation is over?
We’re currently working on realizing this art installation for the Burning Man Festival in the Nevada desert this summer (August 25 – September 1).
After the festival, we’re planning to continue to use the chain adapting its shape and installation to other environments. Perhaps we will be able to install the chain at Socrates Park next year. We’ve also approached a tiny gallery in Soho where the bags would most likely fill the space from floor to ceiling.
[...] preparing for our art installation “2663 Urban Tumbleweeds” at the Burning Man Festival this summer. Please help us gather 2663 plastic bags by June [...]
Nice idea and follow-through. I’ve been photographing plastic bags for about five years now but as single objects. Really nice to see another style of work with the same material.
Dear MSLK Studio,
I work for Socrates Sculpture Park in the education dept. and learned about your project in the grocery store up the street.
I am sorry to hear that your proposal was not selected for our spring show, but I would love to help you out in your collection efforts for your upcoming Burning Man installation. At our most recent Kite Flight event we collected hundreds of plastic bags for a kite making project. We were quite ambitious and collected far too many for our needs- therefore we have about three large trash bags full of plastic bags that can be yours if you pick them up. Feel free to contact me at the office to arrange this, and good luck with your project!
-Katherine
Thanks for offering your help! However, we’ve managed to gather the 2663 bags we needed. We’re currently linking the bags and working on the signage…
For more information about our first installation of this piece, please read our blog posting “2663 Urban Tumbleweeds at Burning Man”:
http://mslk.com/reactions/?p=1447
[...] they created “Watershed” out of 1,500 disposable plastic water bottles, and in 2008, “2663 Urban Tumbleweeds,” a half-mile long chain of plastic shopping [...]
[...] …and those paper bags – YES, they have to be of recycled material…which pretty much harpoons the ACC’s CEQA lawsuit strategy, which at face-value, appears to require cities to continue to pollute their environments via the scourge of the “urban tumbleweed“. [...]
[...] …and those paper bags – YES, they have to be of recycled material…which pretty much harpoons the ACC’s CEQA lawsuit strategy, which at face-value, appears to require cities to continue to pollute their environments via the scourge of the “urban tumbleweed“. [...]
My art class is studying urban art and we ran across this website. It is a great resource for my students. Thank you
That is absolutley amazing, and such a great idea to make people realize how much pollution we’re putting out, also how many animals are being killed by a simple but deadly plastic bag.
omg i can’t believe that we consume all of those bags in just one second, what they did with all of thoe bags is really beautifull and helpfull because that way all of those bags are not laying around, i really wish that everybody could use less bags, that way we would have a cleaner world:)
My art class is studying urban art. This is a great example of that.I love your idea.
It’s crazy to think that we use 2663 plastic bags in just one second everyday. Reading this makes me want to make sure that I recycle more ofen.
We are learning about urban art in our art class in school .We have read the book ” bag in the wind” . I think this is a great website to show the different art techniques. This is also an awesome website to spread awareness about the dangers of plastic bags, I think the 2663 plastic bags is going to get people’s attention. You have a great information about plastic bags!!! Keep up the good work !
It really makes you think of what you can do to consume less bags.
I thouhgt this story was really informational and really helps people understand what they are doing to the earth.
I’m in art and my class has been learning about urban art. We got through reading “The Bag in the Wind.” I really enjoyed reading this article. It’s so sad that animals are dying because of the plastic bags. I think linking 2663 plastic bags is a really creative project. I agree that plastic bags are a part of our daily lives. I have a lot at home! I hope you’re project really helped get people’s attention!
this art intresting because i find it unique very different but it’s cool!!
I do find that the colors grouped the way they are catches readers eyes. Also, I ahd no idea whi many plastic bags we uaed until I read this arical. Now I realixe that if we want to help our planet, we should tell people. We should tell everyone and get help from others to. One person by themself, can do something, but they can’t do much.
I think almost anything can become art,even plastic bags.It may not be pretty art,but it is art that makes a statement.
i think this a cool way to express art and anything can be art even if its just plastic bags tied together.
This is really cool! I really enjoyed looking at this!
I think that people don’t realize what plastic bag are doing to our envirorment, why throw away plastic bags when you can make them into art? Nobody wants to see a landfill filled withplastic bags, and no one wants to see bags in trees along the road. So instead of just not caring where you leave your plastic bags why don’t you make them into a work of art to put in your bedroom or outside. It dosen’t even ahve to be a big artwork as long as you used plastic bags in it it is always an amazing contribute to the envirorment.
i like how the red fades off into the white