A couple of years ago, Liz Milan, an artist, a turist guide, and a friend, began a journey to raise awareness about the plastic ocean pollution, with a very interesting and though-provoking exhibition called “Plastic-ocene.”

I visited her exhibition this weekend, and it was surely a gripping and provocative artwork. The intent of the exhibition was to boost consciousness on the negative impact of plastic on the environment and, above all, on our seas.

At least 8 million tons of plastic end up in our oceans every year, and make up 80% of all marine debris from surface waters to deep-sea sediments. Marine species ingest or are entangled by plastic debris, which causes severe injuries and deaths.

 Liz prepared some large scenographic installations made up of disposable plastics, and plastic materials collected on our beaches; along with an information panel made with the collaboration of WWF AMP of Miramare, (Trieste), to draw the public attention to the quantity of plastic we produce—and dispose—every single day of our lives.

An Angry Sea

An installation made up of blue mesh of polypropylene threads, represented an angry sea in which abandoned plastic are cast away in the sea along with marine organisms such as seashells and starfishes.

Alien Jellyfish

And her eye-catching “alien jellyfish,” four Jellyfish the free-swimming marine animals—made with a number of bottles corresponding to the monthly consumption of a family of 4, 3, 2, or 1 person—it demonstrates the physical dimension of plastic we dispose, in a very effective way. 

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Sailing the Plastic

“The canoe,” an ancient wooden artifact that rests on a sea of plastic made with 100 bottles of water, an art work to address the impact of macroplastics, and the “Nautilus,” a cast of clay with imprints of the short-lived everyday objects that contribute enourmously to increase the “Plastic Footprint.”

Your plastic footprint will outlive you by hundreds of years!

Can we Make a Diference?

Sometimes problems are so huge that our small efforts seem like only drops in the ocean. That may be true, but every time you choose to say no to single-use plastic you’re keeping our earth a little greener and the ocean a little cleaner.

Something to seriously think about.