Our Poisons

poisonbowls_v3
Our Poisons
, 2013

animation
work in progress

China is a place where one is confronted by the poisons and waste created in order to make our lives more comfortable, affordable and stylish. It is also a culture where food is one of the most important social acts.

Walking to the metro station I pass by a mountain of coal. In front of this mound is a make-shift car wash.  Behind a shack and in front of a giant abandoned building ready to be demolished sits this mountain of coal. To get a sample of the coal I had to ask the man washing the BMW car and walk around his shack which was surrounded by human feces. The layers of raw excess is an ugly sight indeed.

Yesterday was the first autumn day. Soon temperatures will suddenly drop and that mountain will temporarily provide warmth while transforming into bad air we breathe.

‘Our Poisons’ is an animation about natural and manmade resources we consume to such high levels that they become lethal poisons. 20 rice bowls will be filled with products and resources nations overuse. They will sit on top of a ‘lazy susan’ round table. The above image is a sketch of the installation.  Our poisons are packaged into nice neat individual portions to consume as food.