Bangkok, 30 May 2018 – Trash meets art, as artists across Asia Pacific make a bold statement to the world this week to #BeatPlasticPollution. Twelve large-scale art installations created from plastic waste will be unveiled in a dozen cities across Asia Pacific between 2-5 June as part of UN Environment’s World Environment Day celebrations. These temporary exhibits will bring attention to the plastic waste crisis as part of this year’s World Environment Day theme of “Beat Plastic Pollution”.
“The world is waking up to the fact that plastic pollution is one of the most urgent environmental issues of our time, but that it’s also something that we can solve,” Erik Solheim, Head of UN Environment said. “This year’s World Environment Day is therefore a call to action for all of us.”
The artwork ranges from abstract to whimsical to cultural. In Bali, a 5-metre traditional ogoh-ogoh statue built of collected plastic waste will loom large over Sanur beach, while in Hong Kong a giant 400-kilogram sphere of melted plastic will make landfall in Central. In Bangkok, visitors to Central World mall will be able to pass through 7 massive gates made from tens of thousands of plastic bags.
Installations are planned in Auckland, Bali, Bangkok, Beijing, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Manila, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore, Tokyo and Yangon.
Visitors to the exhibitions are asked to join an international game of social media tag to show how they will #BeatPlasticPollution.
“Beat Plastic Pollution”, the theme for World Environment Day 2018, is a call to action for all of us to come together to combat one of the great environmental challenges of our time. Plastic waste is a truly international problem that demands urgent action on the part of business, government and individuals.
NOTES TO EDITORS
Resources for media are available here
Celebrations of World Environment Day in Asia and the Pacific will be broadcast on social media: @UNEnvironmentAP / www.facebook.com/uneproap
For news, stories and events around World Environment Day and Plastic Pollution, visit: www.worldenvironmentday.global
About UN Environment:
UN Environment is the leading global voice on the environment. It provides leadership and encourages partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations. UN Environment works with governments, the private sector, civil society and with other UN entities and international organizations across the world.
About World Environment Day:
World Environment Day is the single largest celebration of our environment each year,
Since it began in *1973, it has grown to become a global platform for public outreach that is widely celebrated across the globe. For more information, visit www.worldenvironmentday.global
For media inquiries and more information on art installation programmes and unveilings, please contact: Adam Hodge, adam.hodge@un.org
*The date was corrected on 30 May 2022
