ARTIST STATEMENT

Have you looked around you? This bright blue tarp/talpatri is everywhere in this city. It has become an integral part of Bombay/Mumbai, its ‘Valentine’- translating to ‘strength’, as derived from a Latin word.

 

It is strengthening the housing and spaces that need to be occupied in the form of a roof on a house, shelter from the rain in monsoon, or shade in the hot summer. This installation argues that this apparent "strength" is frail, as it is made of plastic! And that relying on this plastic so much as a city is alarmingly threatening to the Earth and its Oceans.

 

But we are too deep in.

It is our sign to take a moment, and focus on the small acts that destroy the environment we live in, breathe in; one plastic at a time.

 

The installation aims to integrate the step of "Repair" within the concept of 'Reduce-Reuse-Recycle'. And to establish the narrative of "fixing" a massively used material rather than burdening the demand and supply cycle.

 

To represent it, this artwork consists of tarps sourced from scraps, which are repaired with patches of sustainable material such as cotton canvas, and proposes steps to coat them with a biodegradable waterproofing material, such as beeswax.

 

So, would you like to join us and make “Repair” the new cool?