Waste is one of the major influences that human beings have upon the climate crisis. As a species, we’re terrible for throwing things away when we’re done with them – often after just a single use – whether it’s plastic bottles or the remnants of fast fashion. Beyond that, our industries generate tonnes of waste, with enormous quantities of material ending up festering in landfill sites for decades and decades.
All of this is the subject of Waste Age – a powerful new exhibition at the Midlands Arts Centre. MAC is the only UK touring venue for the exhibition, which was curated by Gemma Curtin and Justin McGuirk for the Design Museum in London. The show highlights the gravity of the waste problem, while showcasing the ways that innovative designers are using science to transform waste into something entirely new.
“Art is about discussion, isn't it?” says MAC curator Roma Piotrowska. “It's great to have art in a gallery that is seen by a big number of people to start the conversation. We're hoping that we are not preaching, but we are putting the information out there. There is a lot of information in the exhibition, and hopefully it will make people stop, think and maybe get inspired by some of the artworks to incorporate those ideas into their daily life.”
The exhibition is packed with evocative pieces, including an enormous chain of bottle caps recovered from Cornish beaches over the course of just one winter. Piotrowska says she had to spend a lot of time poring over an enormous Excel spreadsheet to “make difficult choices” about which works from the original exhibition would work well in MAC’s gallery spaces. In the process, she learned a lot about the climate crisis.
Piotrowska says: “One of the biggest [things I learned] was that the construction industry is one of the biggest pollutants. So, for example, when we build a new house, we produce a lot of waste. We need new houses, but maybe we actually should rethink it and look at new ways of refurbishing what we already have. The exhibition also shows some ways to build new houses, but in a more sustainable way, so that could be also an option and a way to reduce that waste in construction.”
Waste Age at Midlands Arts Centre includes Abdulrazaq Awofeso's installation Okrika
(Credit: Ayesha Jones)
One of the most significant elements of the Waste Age exhibition at MAC is a newly commissioned piece by Nigerian-born Birmingham sculptor Abdulrazaq Awofeso. He often uses “forgotten materials” in his work including wooden pallets used for transporting goods. His new piece Okrika – named after the Nigerian term for second-hand clothes – is a poignant reminder of the exploitative conditions often faced by workers in the second-hand clothes market. It shows that the idea of the “circular economy” isn’t always a straightforward good thing, with Awofeso describing the situation as “a double-edged sword”.
The artist says he has gained a new appreciation for the importance of environmental issues while working on Okrika and engaging with the other pieces in the exhibition. “It makes me feel somehow fulfilled and happy that I'm making my own quota towards the eradication of environmental issues,” says Awofeso. “I find it sort of amazing to be able to make a contribution with this project. I'm just glad that it has opened my eyes to this conversation about climate issues and artists who are actually making further impact to eradicate it.”
Despite all the negative headlines around the climate in recent months and years, both Piotrowska and Awofeso have found things to inspire them. Piotrowska points to striking Stella McCartney garments showcased in the exhibition, which were made using ocean plastic. “It is inspiring to see such big fashion icons like Stella McCartney fighting for better materials in our fashion items. Looking at those big names and seeing that they are making a change, that's quite inspiring.”
Awofeso, meanwhile, said he is inspired by the “captivating and interesting” work of British sculptor Antony Gormley. The legendary artist – best known for the iconic Angel of the North – has frequently discussed climate change, including the installation Another Place at Crosby Beach in Merseyside.
Waste Age aims to point at a way forward for the human race, as well as displaying the myriad ways in which we can turn our ravenous appetite for consumption back around in order to help preserve our natural world. It’s an inspiring example of the ways in which art can help not only to sound the alarm about the level of the climate emergency, but also point the way towards potential solutions.
Innovative clothing is part of the Waste Age exhibition at Midlands Arts Centre
(Credit: Tegen Kimbley)
Piotrowska says, having worked on Waste Age, she would encourage other artists to “always think about the materials that we use in our own work”. Most of the signage in the exhibition, for example, is made with cardboard rather than plastic or vinyl. “I think artists, especially, should be thinking about that a bit more, because we all hope that sculptures, or art pieces will end up in a beautiful museum collection, and that would be lovely. But, let's be honest, probably some of them will end up in landfill. So that's why artists should think about the material, because it will affect the environment.”
Awofeso says that, if he were approached by another artist asking for advice on how to make art about the climate, he’d encourage them to join the conversation and make their voice heard as loudly as possible.
“I would tell them to pursue it because the more we have the merrier,” he says. “I don't think it could actually be eradicated completely by one artist, but as a collective – not even only artists, but other disciplines could also contribute and make their impact known. It's a very broad and complex issue that just goes beyond one artist making an impact, but I think collectively, there could be other artists being involved as well.”
As a rallying cry from the art world to the rest of us, Waste Age certainly does its job. It’s a heart-breaking work, but also one that bursts with innovation and inspiration.
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