An increasing interest in sustainable and circular art emphasises the critical role art plays in promoting sustainability and changing perceptions of waste. Artists who incorporate circular economy concepts into their practices inspire individuals and communities to envision a more environmentally sustainable future.
In recent years, there has been a surge in emphasis on sustainability and circularity within public art, reflecting a growing commitment to environmental responsibility. This trend highlights the significant role of creative industries in promoting sustainable practices and rethinking waste.
Jonathan Ben-Tovim’s “Crash Series” is a prime example of artists using innovative and creative solutions to lead the way in the sustainability space. Since 2018, Ben-Tovim has been repurposing discarded automotive panels into installations that reduce environmental impact while infusing artworks with themes of renewal and transformation. With over half a million cars disposed of in Australia annually, innovative strategies are crucial for managing automotive waste. Ben-Tovim’s initiative highlights art’s role in promoting sustainability and illustrates how integrating circular economy principles can contribute to a more sustainable urban landscape.
Public art installations, designed with sustainability in mind, serve as tangible reminders of our shared responsibility to the planet. Through innovative approaches such as repurposing materials and minimising waste, these artworks symbolise a shift towards a greener urban landscape. Artists’ embrace of circular economy principles not only demonstrates their commitment to sustainability but also showcases creative reuse within urban environments.
Jessie French is an artist exploring consumption, symbiosis, ecology, science and technology in the context of human experience and behaviour amidst the climate crisis. French engages with vital issues through experimental artistic projects refracted through a scientific lens. Through research, French has developed unique techniques and processes for working with algae-based polymers to produce materials which contain only organic, renewable ingredients. French’s work exposes the fragility of life systems through abstract yet deeply evocative aesthetic frames. The material backbone of her work explores the meaning and value of the ephemeral; placing weight in things that don’t last beyond our lifetimes and challenging the idea of ‘built-to-last’.
Art Pharmacy commissioned French on behalf of Deloitte for a new art collection for their office spaces within Quay Quarter Tower, Sydney. French’s aesthetic and material choices in Vessel from the Deep I-III, construct encounters that force a contemplation of things bigger than ourselves, our species, planet and existence. Rather than deferring action on the climate crisis to a later date or passing responsibility to future generations, these works ask us to consider what we can do today. Delicate and intricate, these vessels mirror their surroundings and the land of the Eora Nation, and capture liquid moments frozen in time. Their patterning resembles waves and conveys the duality of the ocean – its soothing and calm yet powerful momentum. Jessie French’s Liquid Fossil Portal (2023) is simultaneously polished, yet organic and deep – the steel backing of these portals interacts with the transparency of the algae-based material from which these artworks are composed, transporting viewers into the depths of an ancient, underwater world. Microalgae dating back 2.5 billion years, responsible for creating the oxygen atmosphere that first began evolution of life on earth, features as a pigment in these works. Described by French as ‘ancestors to everything on this planet’, visible bubbles and abstract flowing figures in the surface of this work become reminders of evolution’s origins.
