‘Garbage Tail’ is the latest creation by French duo Murmure Street for the IPAF Festival organized by Milsmurs (in the Terres Sainville district of Fort-de-France) in Martinique. This monumental wall is part of Murmure Street’s ‘Garb-age’ series which centers on dreamlike and poetic twists of the garbage bag. This object is symbolic of our era and of our consumerist civilization: the ugly bags invade our daily life and have a monstrous environmental impact.
The theme of the IPAF Festival this year was ‘Men and the Caribbean Sea’. It is easy to feel removed from the situation, but as whale watching gains increasing popularity in the Caribbean, this work reminds us of the immediacy of the situation. Scientific studies indicate that without drastic action being taken: by 2050, the oceans will contain more waste than fish.
Like the tip of an iceberg, the tail of the whale is the only visible part of the animal in this mural symbolizing the plastic pollution of our oceans. It thus suggests the most invisible part of the beast. Even if the presence of plastic pollution at surface level in the ‘seventh continent’ is widely known, so much of the problem remains invisible and is ignored. The microscopic particles in the water are just as cruel to sea life.
Following the ‘Garbage Whale’ mural produced in Vladivostok, the zoomorphic theme continues in ‘Garbage Tail’. Both works were made entirely in acrylic and brush with a deliberately realistic rendering designed to catch the viewer’s eyes, reminding us of the urgency of the situation.
