#plastic oceans

Artivism is the obvious combination of art, and activism. It developed as a direct result of a 1997 gathering of Chicano artists in Mexico; the term itself and its derivatives (“Artivism”, “artivist”, etc.) were disseminated through East Los Angeles artists, musicians, and organizations such as Quetzal, Mujeres de Maiz, and Self Help Graphics and Art. But on a broader scale, was catalyzed by anti-war and anti-globalization protests. Artivists, of the past and of today, attempt to push a certain political agenda, as well as raise awareness of issues such as climate change, immigration, and social issues. Artivism is also revolutionary in form: the mediums involved are creative and groundbreaking, and include street art, spoken word, subvertising, and culture jamming.

Leah Harper artwork, “Larsen B”

  Art can help environmental causes through many vehicles, one of the most obvious being spreading awareness about specific issues such as endangered sea animals, deforestation, ice caps melting, among others. However, art can also help the environment in more novel ways: for example, the artist El Anatsui recycles bottle caps to create textured, gleaming sculpture pieces that could almost be likened to textiles. 

  Finally, there are an increasing amount of artists that choose to use proceeds from their art to donate to environmental causes/organizations. For example, Valentino Vettori’s project, “Arcadia”, in which he created 10 prints, all depicting solutions to our current environmental crisis, then sold them for charity and, further, created a whole platform to engage and promote sustainable initiatives. Another example is Alpha’s project titled “Artivism Challenge: Rainforest Edition” used art to raise awareness about rainforest pollution to incite change. Artists nominated art pieces that addressed rainforest conservation, and a judging panel of environmental and art experts chose a winner, whose prints were also sold for charity. Alpha’a is a prime example of an organization that “leverages the universal appeal and emotional power of art to raise awareness on critical issues… create awareness of existing solutions to environmental problems, and connect individuals, brands, and community organizations to enable organic action”. 

Olafur Eliasson installation, Ice Watch, 2018

  Olafur Elliasson is one of the more popular examples of an artist combining his practice with activism to fight against climate change. His well-known installation Ice Watch brought 12 blocks of melting glacial ice to the Paris Climate Change conference, forcing viewers to confront the impending environmental crisis. Eliasson says it best: “to take all the data, news, and scientific papers and turn it into something you can touch is, I think, incredibly effective”.

  However, there are also more emerging artivists to familiarize yourself with, on the Alpha’a platform and otherwise! One of these is Leah Harper: originally from Florida, her work explores the environmental systems of the ocean and marine life. Her mixed media pieces imbue ocean life with a colorful sense of childlike joy, imploring the viewer to protect something precious that is slipping away. Another Alpha’a artist that engages in artivism is Augusto Amado, specifically his work No over Nothing. It’s a piece focused on the overconsumption of plastic, and shows the real horrors of the fishing industry today.