A tap spewing plastic makes an eye-catching welcome at the gate of the G-South BMC office. The office located at Dharmil Naka, near Prabhadevi, got an artsy installation recently and is turning heads amongst visitors who look curious even as they hurry around with documents into the buzzing office.
A BMC official said, referring to the towering piece, “Assistant Commissioner BMC (G South) Swapnaja Kshirsagarji inaugurated a 15-foot tall ‘Plastic Flow’ on World Environment Day (June 5). This gives a message that ‘what we throw comes back to us.’ This year’s World Environment Day theme was ‘Beat Plastic Pollution’ and this art-sculpture we hope, will spread awareness, and resonate with citizens.”
Though June 5 is over and done with, the installation still stands, a reminder that environmental consciousness is not or cannot be a one-off thing or simply a buzzword on World Environment Day but one to be practised through the year and woven into everyday life.”
Concept
The sculpture was made in collaboration with Kshirsagar and sponsored by Beena Paresh Dataniji of Sanathan Textiles, CSR initiative by Artist Minali Thakkar. “I have conceptualised and curated this sculpture. It is made of recycled plastic bottles and plastic bags, and is titled: ‘Plastic Flow’. We wanted to tell the people to be mindful, recycle and reuse as what we throw away flows back to us,” Thakkar said.
Thakkar summarised the concept as plastic flow through the environment and back to humans, particularly via tap water contamination. My concept refers to the environmental concept of plastic pollution re-entering the human ecosystem, particularly through water.”
Disposal
Thakkar explained, “First, we have plastic waste disposal. We throw away plastic products, many of which end up in landfills, rivers, and oceans. These then break down into microplastics. These microplastics contaminate water sources like rivers, lakes, and even groundwater. They then, in a complete cycle, return to us. When water is treated and delivered to our homes (through our taps), microplastics can still be present, entering our bodies through drinking and cooking. In short, improperly disposed plastic does not disappear, but, in fact, breaks down, pollutes water, and eventually returns to us.”
Of artist as change maker and harnessing the power of art, Thakkar added, “As an artist, I believe art plays a significant role through visual impact through the size and magnitude of an art work. Even for people to lift their heads from the digital distraction of their mobile phone and pause and reflect about the message while admiring the art, is like creating this huge sculpture – no small feat.”
Impact
A BMC official said when asked about how works like these impact people, “First, it is a large installation, so there is an immediate, visual impact. Then the materials used, like recycled plastic itself, send a message. We have this installed in our space, near the gate, and this makes viewing accessible to the public. In a creative way, this teaches people about the responsible disposal of plastic waste and puts meaning into sustainability.
We hope people do not just look at it but start conversations about reuse and recycling. Even after such installations are removed from a certain space, they live on in the mind of many, and on mobile phone photo galleries, urging people to make this a continued and consistent practice.”
