Sausalito, CA (PRWEB) June 04, 2013
Starting on World Oceans Day, June 8, visitors to The Marine Mammal Center will be able to touch, learn and participate in a new art installation called, Indra's Net.
Legend has it that Indra, a Hindu god, cast a jewel-encrusted net over the infinite universe. Every jewel reflected every atom of the universe and every jewel reflected every other jewel - a metaphor representing the interdependence of all life. At the heart of The Marine Mammal Center, suspended across half of the central courtyard, Marin artists Judith and Richard Lang have put a modern-day twist on the legend by creating a sculpture out of 100 pounds of trawl net retrieved by beachcomber Richard James, and 1,000 bottle caps collected from beaches in Marin County. Each bottle cap will contain a tiny mirror, bringing Indras legend and message to life: we are these mirrors and our every action reflects the actions of all others.
In addition, over 1,000 repurposed plastic tags with handwritten messages of hope will hang from the net. In May, children and adults visiting the Center crafted their own messages on these tags that will represent promises to be more aware, change behaviors and take actions that help make the ocean a healthier place for all marine life. At the Promise Station near the sculpture visitors will get the chance to compose their own messages to help our marine mammal friends and their ocean home. These additional promises will be added to the net throughout the year.
Indras Net is a metaphor for our interconnectedness and an invitation to use our creative imaginations to envision what a healthy ocean habitat might look like, explained Richard Lang. This particular trawl net got loose from its intended use as a fishing net and sadly became one of thousands of ghost nets set adrift in the ocean each year.
Indras Net is the second in a series of installations within The Ghost Below exhibit at The Marine Mammal Center. A private preview of the sculpture is set for June 5.
Starting June 15, the installation will have a digital component at TheGhostBelow.org where visitors can learn more about ghost nets and the effects of ocean trash through videos, trivia and stunning imagery, all created by Swirl, an integrated marketing firm headquartered in San Francisco. Visitors from near and far will be able to submit their promises online and cast their own nets globally by sharing those promises with their friends on Facebook and Twitter.
In December 2012, visitors were first introduced to the Ghost Net Monster sculpture and The Ghost Below exhibit a creative platform for environmentally focused artists to share their messages and stories about ocean health. After the Langs learned of the death of a sperm whale that had ingested approximately 450 pounds of ocean trash, mainly ghost nets - derelict fishing nets that are abandoned or lost by fishermen - and other plastic scraps, they felt compelled to create a 6-foot-wide by 9-foot-tall hulking creature from 162 lbs of that net. It is mounted on a frame made from repurposed scrap aluminum created by fabricator Alex Treu. The nets and rope at the base are from the plastic soup known as the North Pacific Gyre and were collected by members of Project Kaisei. The face is made of plastic trash from Kehoe Beach, CA.
Standing guard in the Centers courtyard, The Marine Mammal Center hopes both the Ghost Net Monster and Indras Net will awaken peoples senses and motivate everyone to take action to address The Ghost Below - the vast problem of trash, derelict nets and other human-caused dangers that haunt marine life and threaten the health of The Marine Mammal Centers many patients.
We hope The Ghost Below exhibit will be fun, educational, awe-inspiring and incite action, explained Dr. Jeff Boehm, executive director at The Marine Mammal Center. Every little thing counts, including properly disposing of trash, recycling, and making other conservation activities a priority in our lives. The Ghost Below exhibit runs through the end of 2013. It is generously sponsored by PG&E: "Fostering Environmental Sustainability at The Marine Mammal Center."
Learn more at http://www.MarineMammalCenter.org/ghostbelow.
How You Can Prevent Ocean Trash:
No comments:
Post a Comment