How to see the world in a grain of microplastic

While looking for a way in which she could address the problem as an artist, Takashima met Rie Tai, an environmental conservation consultant, and associate professor Yutaka Kameda of the Chiba Institute of Technology, who conducts research on microplastics. In this way she could get advice and support in producing her works. She learned that Kameda’s research laboratory is collaborating with the shipping company NYK Line to conduct a large-scale oceanographic survey of microplastic distribution around the world. Currently, NYK is collecting microplastic samples using its network of about 750 vessels. Kameda’s research laboratory will investigate the size and concentration of microplastics after collection, and plans to create a map of global marine plastic garbage. With Kameda’s cooperation, Takashima is now creating paintings that highlight “the existence of plastic fragments that are otherwise difficult for people to visualize” by attaching plastic fragments to her canvases and then painting over them.

“We’re told that even from our daily laundry, microplastics that can’t be caught by filters are actually leaching into the sea. It is not yet clear what kind of impact they will have, but by the time we notice a problem it will be too late, so being able to make people be aware of it now, at this early stage, is part of the power of art,” she said. “But I’m still trying to work out the best method of expressing this, so am still experimenting. If in future we can create a distribution map of plastic waste, then I will update the work based on that. Personally, I like to focus on creating works that will appeal directly to the five senses, such as sight and hearing. Even where straight numerical data might not seem real to people, the work will enable the viewer to intuitively and physically grasp the nature of the problem.”