Vertical Ocean

The work Vertical Ocean/Water mirrorings (In Danish water level is referred to as ‘water mirror’) portrays a water bottle waste mountain inspired by the Dandora landfill in Nairobi. It is made of oil paint on folded aluminum with an integrated LED strip neon light at the back. Size: 110 x 70 cm. Formwise its undulating character is inspired by the waves of the ocean while illustrating the plastic pollution from water bottles in the ocean.
The spread of a western healthy “on the go” culture and concerns about groundwater contamination and quality of tap water all contribute to the increase in bottle water use. More than a million plastic bottles are bought around the world every minute. More than half a trillion are sold annually. Most plastic bottles are made from polyethylene terephthalate, which is highly recyclable. But as their use soars across the globe, efforts to collect and recycle the bottles to keep them from polluting are failing to keep up. Fewer than half of the bottles are collected for recycling. Instead most plastic bottles produced end up in landfills or in the ocean. Some studies indicate that in 2050 the ocean will contain more plastic than fish (in weight).