How can we combat excess in a disposable world? A month-long series of pop-up installations, exhibits, events and experiments presented by Science Gallery Melbourne (SGM) aim to show us how. ‘DISPOSABLE’ is a showcase of experimental and innovative solutions created by Australian and international artists in a bid to ignite a war on waste.
Think… washing your hands with soap made from sewage, an exploration by artist Catherine Sarah Young, or instead of ‘letting it mellow’ turning human waste into power for electronic devices as staged in ‘Urinotron’ a large-scale installation by Sandra and Gaspard Bébié-Valérian in collaboration with Professor Peter Scales. What about wearing a textile-based P@tch, which uses self-reporting and environmental sensors to help track personal and surrounding pollution, a project by Janna Ahrndt.
Sandra Bébié-Valérian, Gaspard Bébié-Valérian (France) and Professor Peter Scales (Australia), Uronitron 2.0, installation. Courtesy the artists and Science Gallery Melbourne
Oliver Kellhammer and Dr Luke Holman present a living installation of mealworms merrily dining on polystyrene, biodegrading it with their gut bacteria turning plastic into compost. ‘POLLUTION PODS’ by Michael Pinsky invite visitors to step into a series of ‘simulated’ environments modeled on some of the most polluted cities in the world; London, New Delhi, Beijing and São Paulo. How does Melbourne compare?
More environmental innovation can be seen with ‘Eel Trap’ by Mitch Mahoney & Maree Clarke, ‘Fatberg’ by Mike Thompson & Arne Hendriks and ‘Trash Robot’ by Urban Rivers.
On view across Melbourne at the University of Melbourne’s Parkville campus, Testing Grounds, Southbank, Treasury Gardens, East Melbourne and Footscray Community Arts Centre, from 1 August to 1 September 2019.
