India and many places in the World have a huge problem with managing waste. Many countries simply don’t have the infrastructure to manage waste properly, hence rubbish everywhere due to a lack of recycling plants.
With a strong belief in ‘Art changes people and people change the world,’ British Artist Char Evans created an Eco Art installation at Auroville in India to send out a message to corporations Worldwide about the waste they generate.
“Corporations that are in touch with communities take an active interest in recycling issues, and play a key part in waste management. They understand ‘rubbish’ is a resource, a treasure,” says Ms. Evans.
At Eco Art Installations we choose to unite and explore our creative potential, raise awareness of ecological issues, and present our vision of beautiful co-creation.
The Eco art installation in the above video took place in March 2014 at the Bamboo Centre in Auroville via Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, India. As seen in the video, there was dancing and people used natural and recycled materials for art installations and workshops.
The dynamic installation comprised a giant bamboo geodesic dome, a large kolam, a human mandala of dancing children and a ‘time machine’ with performances, workshops and spontaneous interaction throughout the project period.
The project facilitated the exchange of skills and fostered eco enterprise according to Ms. Evans. “It was designed to explore community creative potential, raise awareness on ecological issues, and to present our vision of beautiful of co-creation,” says Ms. Evans (33).
The project made use of natural materials such as bamboo, leaves, flowers, rice powder, shells and turmeric and recyclable materials like bicycle tires, wheels, washing machine drums, telephones, clocks, shoes, cartons, cans, computer key boards and mesh.
“This eco art installation started as a dream in London and manifesting it in India has been an amazing creative journey,” adds Ms. Evans. The Eco Art Installation’s next project has been planned in the Amazon Rainforest later this year.
As the installation is subject to weather conditions and the ravages of time, Ms. Evans and her team recorded the process with American artist Moby and Swedish artist Zilverzurf providing music for the videos, and posted the video on their YouTube channel and website.
The installation at the Bamboo centre was the result of the creative collaboration of over 100 people, involving local and international artistes and the local community, over a period of around three months. Balasundaram Ponnusamy and the Kolam Artists of the Bamboo Centre, Mohanam Cultural Centre, Yatra Srinivassan of Yatra Multimedia, Catherine Starostenko, Gaia Harvey Jackson of StampCollective and Joe Iredale of HalfCut, Reda Radi, Cosmo Brahman, AuroTejas Hemsell and her dance troupe, Einat Ran, Kwizera Samuel, Gosha Bury, Axel Carlstrand, Sri Kolari, Rommain Timmers, Madhu Jayamoorthi, Balazs Virag, Balazs Budai, Lili Almassy, Osiva of Yatra Arts Foundation, Prakash Sathiyatharan, Marutham Cultural Centre, Kottakarai Cultural Centre and Mala Dev of New Creation were some of the artistes and organisations involved.
Time-lapse video:
Eco Art is a Not-For-Profit organization. For further information or to get involved in their next project in the Amazon Rainforest, please visit their website www.ecoartinstallations.org.
