“Earth Plastic View” is being mentored by the Swiss pioneer Bertrand Piccard, who circumnavigated the world in a solar-powered aircraft in 2015-16. As the chairman of the Solar Impulse Foundation, he champions the protection of the environment and supports projects and companies which develop clean and efficient solutions for the environment through the Efficient Solutions campaign.
7 billion tonnes of plastic, 14km³ volume, 1 earth
ART CAN CHANGE
AN ART PROJECT FOR A GLOBAL RETHINKING IN PLASTIC
Matterhorn Art Project
MATTERHORN, AN AMBASSADOR FOR A NEW GLOBAL PLASTIC CONSCIOUSNESS AND A WORLDWIDE SYMBOL FOR A RETHINKING IN OUR DEALINGS WITH PLASTIC
NEW SOLUTIONS NEED TO BE FOUND: IN SCIENCE, INDUSTRY, POLITICS AND SOCIETY
According to estimates by scientists, the worldwide plastics stock this year is expected to be around seven billion tonnes. Branko Šmon has set out to give people an understanding of this inconceivable magnitude. The location for his latest project, EARTH PLASTIC VIEW, is the Matterhorn - the world’s most photographed mountain. With multiple installations he makes the Matterhorn an ambassador for a new global awareness on the plastic issue. The vernissage took place on 19 July 2019 in Zermatt/Switzerland. The project is supported, among others by the Fraunhofer Institute Plastics Research Division. EARTH PLASTIC VIEW is being mentored by the Swiss pioneer Bertrand Piccard, who circumnavigated the world in a solar-powered aircraft in 2015-16.
The volume of 1.9 m3 represents the worldwide per-capita volume of plastic in granule form.
"MyEarthPlasticPart-cube" ABOVE THE MATTERHORN
"MyEarthPlasticPart-cube" filled with plastic granules was flown by Branko Šmon onto the summit of the Matterhorn as an artistic happening. As a symbol of a new global awareness on the plastic issue, with Matterhorn as a paramount ambassador. "MyEarthPlasticPart-cube" and the Matterhorn’s vast size in comparison and visualisation of the volume ratio 1,9 m³ : 14 km³
Project Description
Seven biilion tonnes of plastics are in use, at disposal sites, in the countryside, in the oceans and in living beings. Based on a load-bearing bulk density, this corresponds to a volume of around 14 km³ of granular material - an actually unimaginably large amount. Large “Earth Plastic View” frames which are installed at various look-out points showcase the Matterhorn and mark out the plastic volume of 14 km³ at the Matterhorn massif. This renders the magnitude of this volume visible in the landscape around the Matterhorn. By way of contrast, the artist is placing cubes of 1,9 x 1 x m in size - the "MyEarthPlasticView-cube“ - alongside the viewing frames at a total of six points around Gornergrat. He is using these cubes filled with plastic objects, ground plastic and plastic granules to establish a link between the global consumption of plastic in granule form and the individual: Their volume of 1.9 m³ corresponds to every individual’s share in the worldwide volume of plastic in granule form on the basis of a current global population of 7.64 billion.
VOLUME OF PLASTIC TODAY AND TOMORROW
The art project “Earth Plastic View” at the Matterhorn visualises the volume of plastic that exists worldwide in granule form. The red line marks the limit of this proliferation in 2019, while the orange line indicates the level forecast for 2035.
The volume of plastic in the world in 2019 represented in granule form covers approx. 14 km³, which corresponds to the volume of the Matterhorn above an altitude of 2,600 metres across a radius of 3.78 kilometres. The summit of the Matterhorn is at the centre of this radius. The virtually superimposed red line demarcates the volume within this radius.
If we fail to alter the way we handle plastic, the volume of plastic in the world is expected to grow to around 32 km³ by 2035. This corresponds to the volume of the Matterhorn above an altitude of 2,600 metres across a radius of 5.66 kilometres. The summit of the Matterhorn is at the centre of this radius. The virtually superimposed orange line demarcates the volume within this radius.
Red line 2019: Volume = 14 km³
Orange line 2035: Volume = 32 km³
A perfect ambassador
"With “Earth Plastic View” I want to raise a new awareness on the plastic issue. Only in the behavior of each individual it is possible to bring about a change. The Matterhorn serves as a global symbol. On the Gornergrat I found ideal conditions for my goal: On the one hand, we are in the middle of the most beautiful nature, people are directly emotionally touched here. On the other hand, the Matterhorn stands free. The observer has an overview of the surrounding mountain landscape. In this way I can make the enormous volume visible in the first place. Through the vastness of the landscape and the beauty of nature, I create an important link between an awareness of the extent of the problem and the power of natural beauty", explains the artist his choice for the Matterhorn.
Plastic facts and figures
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The total volume of plastic produced worldwide since 1950 stands at approximately 8.3 billion tonnes.
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Some 6.3 billion tonnes of plastic waste had accumulated worldwide by 2015.
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Of this total, 9% has been recycled, 12% has been incinerated to produce energy and 79% has ended up in landfills or in the environment.
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The volume of plastic currently in use worldwide is estimated at 2.5 billion tonnes, corresponding to approx. 30% of the total plastic produced since 1950.
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At the end of 2019, the volume of plastic in the world is expected to stand at approx. 7 billion tonnes.
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If our consumption of plastic continues to increase at the present rate, approx. 16 billion tonnes will be produced up to 2035.
All facts and figures have been taken from the study “Production, use, and fate of all plastics ever made” by Roland Geyer, Jenna R. Jambeck and Kara Lavender Law (2017).
Art App
Branko Šmon transcends the boundaries of traditional art. His »Earth Plastic View« Photo Art app developed for the project takes the experience of art into a new dimension. The real-world natural horizon and the »digital horizon« blend to form a controversial new entity. The various functions of the »Earth Plastic View« Art app render the magnitude of the volume of plastic at the Matterhorn tangible to the user. The app provides a fun way of raising awareness of the issues involved and enables the scale of the global volume of plastic to be appreciated on a visual level through interactive functions. It offers a multidimensional art experience which adds a virtual level to the real-life experience of the Matterhorn.
The app shows at seven look-out points the extent of the volume of plastic at the Matterhorn. The red line marks the limit of this proliferation in 2019, while the orange line indicates the level forecast for 2035. The aim is to depict the inconceivable volume of plastic through the application of augmented reality within a real-world landscape, thereby opening up a new level of perception.
The photo function allows anyone to become part of the art by photographing themselves with the superimposed lines. The EPV art filter aims to prompt users to spread the project’s message globally. A realistic animation „Matterhorn Transformation“ helps to impart a deeper understanding of the extent of the global volume of plastic. It also provides information about the art project, the artist and the environmental issues relating to plastic.
THE APP CAN ALSO BE USED WORLDWIDE, THUS PROPAGATING BRANKO ŠMON’S ARTISTIC MESSAGE TO CREATE A NEW AWARENESS ON THE PLASTIC ISSUE.FOR EVERY PURCHASE, € 1 IS DONATED TO INNOVATIVE PROJECTS AND SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS FOR PLASTIC.
THE PHOTO ART APP IS AVAILABLE IN THE APP STORE AND THE GOOGLE PLAY STORE.
BE A PART OF „EARTH PLASTIC VIEW“ MATTERHORN ART PROJECT.
TAKE PHOTOS AROUND THE WORLD FOR A NEW AWARENESS ON THE PLASTIC ISSUE AND SHARE THEM IN YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORK.
#earthplasticview #EPVplasticawareness
FUNCTIONS AND PHOTO EXAMPLES WITH THE “EARTH PLASTIC VIEW“ PHOTO ART APP.
Press kit
Mentioned below you can download easily the extensive press kit in PDF format.
Beside the press release about the vernissage at the matterhorn it inclueds the detailed project discribtion, a portrait of the artist, an interview with Branko Šmon regarding his project plus the discribtion of the art app, plastic facts and figures and information about the project partners.
Further informationen about Branko Šmon: www.brankosmon.de
Press Reviews
National Geographic:
https://www.nationalgeographic.de/umwelt/2019/08/das-matterhorn-vollgestopft-mit-plastik
Forum Newsletter:
https://www.forum-csr.net/News/13780/StirbtderShareholderValue.html
Blogbeitrag von "B+B unterwegs":
https://bundbunterwegs.com/
Forum Magazin (Print - Sonderthema Plastik):
Article
BRANKO ŠMON AND "EARTH PLASTIC VIEW"
If you are interested in broadcasting material with statements of the artist himself and additional video clips of the helicopter flight with the “MyEarthPlasticPart-cube” over the top of the Matterhorn please do not hesitate to contact our “Earth Plastic View” team. Send us a request by email to info@earth-plastic-view.de
Photo & video material
Please find below photo material in highresolution for your coverage. Copyright Branko Šmon. Photos: Branko Šmon, Moritz Garhammer, Reiner Pfisterer, Mathias Wolpert.
Sarah Deriaz
The mountaineer Sarah brought plastic granules for Branko Šmon on the top of the Matterhorn on the 31st August 2019.
"Earth Plastic View" on top of the Matterhorn
Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hLQt6A4b3Y
Website:
https://zermattcalling.com/
