Holes

Overview

In my country, Nigeria, many people rely on sachet water (popularly called “pure water”) because of the lack of good drinking water. Such water is believed to have been processed before it is packaged in plastic sachets. However, the majority of Nigerians have always disposed of the sachet wrongly after use. This has resulted in widespread litter all over the country. Furthermore, in the Niger Delta region, the presence and activities of the oil companies have caused serious environmental pollution in the form of oil spillage, which has destroyed large land mass, aquatic animals and vegetation, and acid rain resulting from industrial emission and gas flaring. These environmental pollutions have directly and indirectly affected mankind, especially in my immediate environment.

Recently, I was attacked by acid rain while working at Port Harcourt, River State, one of the largest industrial cities in Nigeria. This bitter experience inspired my Acid Rain installation, which was presented at the recent Dak’Art Biennial 2006, in Senegal. Accompanying the work Acid Rain was another piece in which I explored a possible means of self-protection from the toxicity of acid rain. This I did by recycling the “pure water” sachets (one of the environmental menaces) into a “shield” of raincoats and umbrellas. The Shields installation was presented along with the Acid Rain installation at the Dak’Art Biennial.

It does appear that environmental issues are bound to occupy my creative purview or concern for a long time to come. This is because I have grown very sensitive to constant disagreement between man and man, society and society, man and nature, etc. But in all, my priority is the silent but fiery conflict between man and nature.

Indeed, man, as a result of his insatiable need for comfort and pleasure, has altered the natural appropriations of the earth. This alteration has no doubt occurred as a result of the production of hazardous waste, pollution, the production and use of dangerous chemicals, etc. What else could be expected as the consequence of the hyper-industrial revolution, urbanization, and the consumer society?


This project was part of Sharjah Biennial 8.