2015 | Exhibition & Workshop | Hong Kong Maritime Museum

EXHIBITION

We were invited by Hong Kong Maritime Museum to create a communal artwork with the museum members and visitors making use of the plastic waste that the museum has been collecting.

Date: 1 Sept - 22 Oct 2015

Venue: Hong Kong Maritime Museum

DESIGN CONCEPT

Artist: UUendy Lau

Medium: Galvanized iron, Net, Bamboo, Plastic Bottles and Abandoned Materials

Theme: Plastic Oceans

Plastic is indestructible. Human beings manufacture 300 million tons of plastic every year with 8 million tons going into our oceans because of careless disposal. Plastic were thrown away into rivers or cast onto the street to be washed into storm drains and straight into the ocean. Animals die ingesting plastic. Marine animals have been found suffocated on plastic waste and some others starved to death.

The Plastic Fish reminds us how the marine life suffered from careless disposal of plastic – the waste in return just goes directly into their stomach. The installation demonstrates how the fish, initially in white to present its pureness and innocence, is contaminated by different plastic wastes. The shape was inspired by Chinese Lantern. Instead of carrying candles, The Plastic Fish is made to be able to store water bottles and other plastic waste. Visitors are welcome to help “feed up” the fish by putting in their own waste and bottles. This action also reminds us the over-consumption of humans.

In order to get people more involved and contributed to this issue, we invited visitors to help "complete" the communal artwork by creating an animal wave underneath to support the Fish. A series of bottle sleeves were created during the workshop to indicate the increasing number of suffering animals including seabird, sea turtle and sea lion. Visitors are taught to draw and make their own sleeve with creativity. Some of them expressed their concerns and opinions with words and slogan.

WORKSHOP

Date: 25 Sept 2015, 8-10pm

Venue: Hong Kong Maritime Museum

A Night in Museum - On the last Friday of each month, the museum stays open until 22:00 and it provides the public a themed talk and workshop which respond to the current exhibition.