With its heavy frame, beastly arms and jaws wide open revealing its 36 long jagged teeth, this savage black monster with its arm outstretched seems like it’s coming right out of the sea to get you. This art installation on the Bandra-Worli Sea-link Promenade stands at 27 feet in height and seems like a promotional for a Hollywood movie; however, it is in fact, an expression of the grim reality we’re faced with with the usage of plastic for our daily needs.
Created entirely out of discarded plastic collected by the segregation unit BMC’s Bandra unit, the installation titled ‘It Never Goes Away’ is a mammoth 45 feet in width and serves as a reminder of the fact that every single time we use an article made of plastic and throw it away, it comes back in a form more sinister than before; be it choking our rivers, getting washed ashore on beaches, being ingested by animals and even getting mixed in our own food as micro plastics, an idea which isn’t easy to digest yet one that looks us in the eye.
This one-of-a-kind art installation – the type which is rarely seen in our country – the monster, seems to be climbing out of the Arabian sea and onto the promenade in the background of the Mumbai skyline feels like a scene out of a science fiction movie yet is a reality check for us as to how we address and do our bit to save the environment.
SAGE aka Rahul Yadav, the artist behind the awe-filled concept and co-founder of the Floating Canvas Company was excited about the final product. “It took us around two weeks to get this piece of art ready. With the help of Arthat, what we have here is magnificent as much as it is accessible to the public while raising awareness and sending out a strong message.”
The BWSL Promenade was selected as an apt location given that it would cause the least inconvenience to anyone beside gaining maximum visibility and attention to the giant monster crawling into the city. The entire project was facilitated by the Maharashtra State Innovation Society (MSInS) in collaboration with the MCGM and MSRDC.
For long now, our city has been grappling with the use of one-time-plastic and addressing the issues related to the disposal of this non-biodegradable piece of trouble. Plastic being dumped in rivers and being washed ashore during the monsoons is a common eyesore. In a significant move last year, the Maharashtra government decided to ban the use of plastic; however, the implementation seems to be questionable, with suppliers still freely distributing them and finding ways to get around. Besides, the government did not provide a concrete solution to address the issues arising out of the ban. However, citizens must act equally responsible in trying to bring about positive change rather than trying to conveniently pass the buck.
Floating Canvas Company, which was founded close to two years back – on 29th June, 2017 – by Aagam Mehta, Shakti Sahu and Rahul Yadav, is an art-on-subscription platform which aims to make art affordable to the layman by renting out pieces of their aesthetically pleasing artwork which in turn rewards the artists. Their claim to fame was when they were among the winners at the inaugural Maharashtra Start-Up Week – organised by the MSInS and held in June last year, in which 24 winners were selected from a staggering 900 applications – which helped them bag a contract to display their absorbing art at the Governor’s office, the Raj Bhavan. Currently, around 40 pieces of their art adorn the walls of the Raj Bhavan. Their works of art are as classy as they are affordable to an individual art lover as well as corporates.
“Recognition of contemporary art has been picking up in India and we are trying to make art available to the common man to enjoy. At the same time, the artists get their worth for their time and effort. The installation ‘It Never Goes Away’, has been an example of how art must be enjoyed and appreciated not just by the wealthy but the common man too while that purpose has been served here, we are also able to send out a social message. The government have been very forthcoming and co-operative in helping us with this installation and we’re glad with the way things have worked out well. All in all, art wins!”
The installation will be up for display at the BWSL Promenade until the 18th of March. Make sure you capture the monster that never goes away before it eventually does!
