Tardigrade World
-Sustianable Art Innovation: Research Assembly
Tardigrade World
-Sustianable Art Innovation: Research Assembly
Samoa House Library Workshop-Waste Journaling
Tools and materials.
Samoa House Library, situated on Karangahape Road in Auckland, hosted our Waste Journaling Workshop in 2019. Participants created books from rubbish collected by the artist, Java Bentley, documenting each individual’s waste journey. Samoa House Library is an artist-run, community-grown space that originated in response to the closure of specialist libraries at The University of Auckland.
https://www.samoahouselibrary.org/
Artists often collect waste as a form of personal and artistic expression, finding inspiration in the transformative potential of discarded materials and seeing beauty and value where others see waste. Driven by a sense of environmental responsibility and a desire to raise awareness about ecological issues and inspire change, this approach aligns with eco-art practices that emphasize recycling and repurposing as a critique against consumer culture and environmental degradation.
Waste Journaling is the practice of documenting and reflecting on waste collection and usage. This workshop personalizes the artist’s engagement with waste and invites the community to participate and reflect on their own waste habits, creating a meaningful connection between the artist and the community. By situating the Waste Journaling workshop in a specific location, the artist can foster a sense of shared responsibility and collective action toward sustainability.
Transforming rubbish from the mundane to the focal point of art challenges perceptions and elevates the status of discarded materials. By giving rubbish a spotlight, it reveals the hidden beauty and potential of waste, encouraging viewers to reconsider their relationship with consumption and disposal. Artists can provoke critical thought about the lifecycle of materials and the impact of human activity on the environment.
Understanding the lifecycle of rubbish involves tracing the journey of materials from production to disposal and potential repurposing, emphasizing the full environmental impact of products, including resource extraction, manufacturing, consumption, waste generation, and recycling, allowing artists to highlight overlooked stages of materials and promote sustainable practices.
These reflections provide insights into the motivations behind artistic engagement with waste, the potential of waste journaling to connect with communities, the transformative power of highlighting rubbish, and the importance of understanding the lifecycle of materials.