Clarke, Matthew James. “6,000 Plastic Bottles and LEDs Used To Make Glowing Labyrinth in Poland.” thecreatorsproject.vice.com. Vice Media Inc., 12 June 2014. Web. 16 June 2014. http://thecreatorsproject.vice.com/blog/an-illuminated-plastic-labyrinth-installed-in-poland
Luzinterruptus, an anonymous Spanish art group, built an 11-foot-tall labyrinth made from plastic bottles in order to promote environmental awareness in Poland. The plastic labyrinth was built in Poland in order to call attention to Poland’s reluctancy to strictly enforce recycling in their country. The structure promotes both beauty and awareness and is a really productive way to encourage local environmental participation. I like how the structure invites people to interact with it and is fitted with LED lights so it can also be seen at night. Although the structure is striking, I’d like to know how much energy is being used to maintain this structure and if that’s a possible contradiction to the installation’s purpose. I think creating art out of garbage is a nice way to call attention to environmental issues but I’d like to know the energy expenditure of the installation overall. The maze aspect of this artwork is also fitting in that people engaging with the labyrinth might get lost or disoriented within the maze which relates to the overwhelming amount of plastic being used and produced and the seemingly endless cycle of recycling and producing plastic. I think the maze is also interesting because from afar you don’t automatically see bags of plastic bottles, you only see a glowing structure. I like the way this piece of art forces participants to look closer and interact with it while encouraging participation and contemplation on recycling and reusing plastic products.
