Arts and Culture

WATCH: Why trash is ‘a failure of the imagination’

New exhibit showcases upcycling construction ideas

Trash is a failure of the imagination.

And the artists and crafts people whose work is on display at the Kelowna Heritage Museum prove it.

“I think we need to redefine what we think of as trash,” Hanna Karin told Kelowna10. She is the guest curator for Jenga Jenga, which means ‘to build’ in Swahili. The exhibit exemplifies just that, using examples of upcycled construction from Canada and the ChuChu eco-workshop in Myanmar.

ChuChu trains people in Myanmar to make purses, bags, and household goods from recyclable plastics, like umbrellas or tire inner tubes. It grew, in part, out of a necessity to deal with the hundreds of tonnes of trash that has accompanied the rapid urbanization of the country.

Despite our best efforts, the problem of trash pilling high is acute in Canada, too. A study by the Conference Board of Canada in 2013 found that the average Canadian generates about 720 kg of waste each year, or about 2.7 kg a day. Worse yet, only about 30 per cent of that is recycled.

It’s a sobering stat, and means we produce more garbage per capita than any other country in the world.

But in Karin’s eyes, there’s opportunity to be had by simply shifting and learning how to extend the lifecycle or, or give a second life to, products and packaging.

“We can all be involved in this process. And it’s not hard.” Karin said. “It’s not hard to create a healthier environment and you can have a lot of fun doing it. The stuff [on display] is really colourful, it’s really fun, and most of it is functional, too.”

Among those functional items, roof and floor tiles made from tires, and eco-bricks made from plastic bottles packed tightly with cleaned plastic bags and wrappers.

Beyond the function is beauty, brought to life by trash artists like Daren Williams and duo Lesley Leong and Martha Ritchie.

Jenga Jenga is part of the Art for Change exhibition, which includes four exhibits and three events across Kelowna’s Cultural District this summer. Art for Change is put on by Atutu Canada, Karin’s Kelowna-based non-profit that focuses on creating positive change and understanding through collaboration and art.

Jenga Jenga runs until Sept. 18.

Published 2022-06-14 by Tyler Marr

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