The Constant Variable | 2017
Maafushi, Maldives
Size: variable
Jun 2017
To paraphrase an old saying: The only constant in life is CHANGE – The Constant Variable. Emerging out of the ecology of the land, here we bring the focus on the socio-organic environment of the archipelago of Maldives, generating awareness towards nature and the role of climate change, and how we sustain in this larger context.
The site-specific project is about perceiving the idea of the transfer of this environment to another place including anything and everything found at the site e.g. sand, rock, corals, physical objects, ecology, marine life, and people. The idea of the transfer becomes the basis for understanding this project.
The use of red and white plastic strips is intended to identify elements and draw attention to the ecology of the Maldives that seem exotic to the environment. Red creates a direct visual twist and contrasts to understand the idea of transfer - of age, nature and a whole generation. The use of material points towards the use of plastic at an alarming rate made by humans and also becomes the symbol of STOP, with the concern regarding the future of the place in the shadow of climate change.
What concerns me at large is that how we embrace the change, will in turn impact on how we are able to live with the change. When the change is massive and immediate, what then? What is a normal reaction to an enormously abnormal event? What personal values and beliefs will sustain us through a crisis?
Therefore, the work points towards a shift - a mental shift needed for human beings to become more conscious of their actions.