As seen in yesterday's post, quite often a work of art assumes different meanings from the ones originally given to it by the artist who created it. At times our own backgrounds and experiences project on the work such meanings; at others events that may happen in the news allow the work of art in question to absorb further and deeper messages.
Take for example one of the latest accidents that happened on Wednesday in the two-story Kentex Manufacturing Corp footwear factory in Valenzuela City, a suburb of the Philippines capital of Manila. Over 70 workers were trapped inside and died when a fire broke out at the main entrance to the building. The fire was probably produced when sparks from welding equipment used to repair a broken inner gate ignited flammable chemicals stored nearby triggering an explosion. The factory produced rubber flip-flop sandals for the local market.
The accident highlights once again the disregard of safety regulations in factories producing garments and accessories. Investigators are currently working on finding out why people were unable to escape from the second floor when there was a wide stairway to the back of the building - even though there were bars at the windows - and whether there were more people inside the building than allowed.
The Philippines fire comes just two weeks after the second anniversary of the collapse of the Rana Plaza apparel factory in Bangladesh and, while there are campaigns calling for things to change, quite often you get the impression that the world is collectively pretending that appalling factory conditions such as the ones analysed in Im Heung-Soon's "Factory Complex" or workplace fatalities are something normal while they should be rare and sporadic.
In the light of these events Mike Perry's images of shoes and flip-flops found on beaches assume more tragic meanings. Perry's project is part of the "Vita Vitale" exhibition in one of the Azerbaijan Pavilions at the 56th International Art Exhibition in Venice (the country is displaying works in two different places, Ca' Garzoni in Calle del Traghetto o Garzoni, and Palazzo Lezze in Campo S. Stefano).
"Vita Vitale" (Vital Life) features quite a few international artists and focuses on environmental sustainability and the impact that our irresponsible behaviour is having on the world.
Perry's project is entitled "Môr Plastig" - "Plastic Sea" in Welsh - and revolves around two main themes, the impact of plastic objects in the living world and the erosive power of nature.
The artist's photographs show indeed a series of flip-flops and shoes that washed up on the coasts of West Wales, Cuba, Tanzania ad Sri Lanka and represent a sort of personal archive commenting upon pollution and the power of the sea, sand and sun to transform objects.
Each shoe is presented on white background and the artist invites visitors to contemplate the power of erosion, the environmental dangers posed by plastic materials and, last but not least, something less tangible but equally destructive, the consequences of consumerism.
Perry continued to collect detritus from the sea in his residency at the Oriel y Parc in The Pembrokshire Coast National Park. Among his latest finds there are also crates and boxes and a Chinese flour sack.
Found on Aberbach Beach in an area of Wales renowned for spotting seals, dolphins and sea birds, the sack's 8000 km journey from China to Wales becomes a tangible witness of ocean pollution.
Besides, the sack also hints at the global reach - and demand - of Chinese manufacturing, and ultmately reminds us something that we often forget when we hear news of accidents in factories manufacturing products such as garments and accessories for the Western countries: the distance that separates us from some of the people we indirectly exploit may be shorter than we imagine.
Member of the Boxxet Network of Blogs, Videos and Photos
Member of the Boxxet Network of Blogs, Videos and Photos
Comments