Artist Arunkumar H.G. remarked about 100-ml bottles that are part of our high-consumption lifestyle. Sourced from households and schools, hundreds of them are crafted into his massive installation made entirely out of everyday plastic trash, that reminds citizens of the harmful and lasting carbon footprint small actions generate.
His installation “The Toxic Chamber”, a large cave-like structure with a huge mouth, is created out of waste like automobile parts, discarded plastic chairs, containers, PET bottles, and e-waste. A satire on how easily today’s consumers shirk the responsibility of the vast waste generated, the “chamber” allows visitors to stand inside and reflect. It is part of “Where Does It Go” project and stands with 10 smaller installations in a Municipal Corporation of Gurugram-owned open land near Wazirabad Bund here.
The project is the first in line for GIPA (Gurgaon Interactive Public Art) initiative by a citizen-led collective “I am Gurgaon” and Artpilgrim Live gallery. When we use plastic, we throw bit by bit. We don’t collect it, and we don’t see its enormity. Just imagine, this could be one person’s usage in just three-four years. For one sip of water, we are creating a permanent plastic junk. When we come and confront it closely is when we realize that we can’t separate it from us unless we change our habits,” Arunkumar told IANS during a walkthrough of the space. The Karnataka-born artist, now a local of Gurugram, thinks of the chamber as a functional space where people can visualize what they throw away, and therefore begin to alter their behavior.
