Future Relics (2018)
A future archaeological archive of plastic from the sea
Inspired by the approach of archaeology, I value plastic from the sea as future relics of today’s utensils. The cyanotype technique was originally used by Anna Atkins to make actual size contact prints of plants and seaweed. Now, I use this technique for plastic waste to emphasize the organic shapes, caused by long presence in the sea.
By reproducing every single object I find, I try to get grip on the huge amount of plastic in the sea. While doing this project I realized that we only add to the mass, and that plastics made in the 1950s still exist. They may fade in color and break down into smaller pieces, but will remain forever.
Future Relics engages with the idea of ecological "hyperobjects", coined by Philosopher Timothy Morton: objects so vast, like global plastic waste, that we can only understand them through their effects (in this case single plastic objects).
By treating every object equally —from large, recognizable items to small, broken down fragments— and avoiding selection, I aim to create an objective archive of local plastic pollution, reflecting the ongoing global pollution.
The first series was made in 2018 and a second series will be made in 2025. This new work responds to recent developments such as on one hand progress in plastic regulations and on the other hand the physical legacy of the COVID-19 pandemic.
For the 2025 series I’m looking for funding, if you are a company with a similar vision as this project, please reach out to suzette@bousema.eu
Exhibition of Future Relics at The Grey Space in the Middle, The Hague (NL), 2018.
Future Relics - Publication
This publication was printed in edition of 60.
Design in collaboration with Elena Kostenko.
Design in collaboration with Elena Kostenko.
Map of the World - Postcard
Collection - Dutch Ministry of Forreign Affairs
18 works from Future Relics are now part of the collection of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and will be hanging in Dutch embassies abroad! See all the works here.
Future Relics available in shop.