The Beach Ball sculpture, 3.5 meter high, is made of thousands of plastics that have been collected along with Israeli shores. It reflects the amount of plastic we buy and discard, aiming to raise awareness about reducing single-use plastics on beaches.
When you see it on the shore, you'll find a colorful and mesmerizing sculpture, but behind it stands an environmental disaster that belongs to us all! Over 1,000 items weighing an estimated 250-300 kg were collected with volunteers from the shores, dirt parking lots, access roads, and pathways to the beach.
I created the "Beach Ball" sculpture for the first time in the summer of 2019 in collaboration with the Tel Aviv Municipality, and again in the summer of 2022.
For me, the Beach Ball has become a life-changing event! The echoes and impact it created made me realize that my art is a tool to convey a message, raise awareness, and inspire change. Another thing I understood is that the sculpture is a trigger, and especially the echoes and documentation of its creation process are significant!
From the moment I received approval to reinstall the sculpture, I began documenting every step of the process – from dissembling the old construction and the disintegrating debris, to collecting the new debris, sorting, connecting, and assembling it.
About 90 such nets were prepared to cover the sculpture's shell, to which were attached over 1,000 colorful waste items, most of them made of plastic and all from the beaches, the nearby parking lots, or the access paths on the way to the sea.
The individual nets were connected to the shell of the ball from the outside, while the inside was lined with large items such as rubber boats, tents, towels, and parasols.
The sculpture traveled between several locations to increase the scope of exposure and impact.
The final stop was at an agricultural farm, where the waste from the construction was removed, climbers were planted, a door was opened and what was a sea ball became a classroom and a habitat for a new life.
I believe we are the change! That a million small movements made at the same time by millions of people with determination and persistence create a huge impact!
Photos: Eric Sultan, Peri Easy, Yonatan Hunig
#beachall #ecoart #environment #plastic #debris #art #environmentalart #sustainability #reuse