Toronto-based artist Benjamin Von Wong is known for his large-scale installations with an environmental message
Benjamin Von Wong, a Toronto-based artist, activist and photographer, is known for creating large-scale art pieces with an environmental message, many of them surrounding the issues created by single-use plastics and other things that end up in the trash.
For example, he earned a Guinness World Record for Strawpocalypse, the largest supported art installation made from plastic drinking straws.
Another large-scale installation piece was the Giant Plastic Tap, an oversized tap with waste flowing from it. Last year, Von Wong created The Thinker’s Burden, consisting of a thinking human on a rock slowly drowning in plastic litter.
Von Wong was in Sudbury June 19 for the opening of the Science North exhibit Earth Works: Where Art Meets Change, which combines Von Wong’s art with the science behind the impacts of plastic waste.
Once it closes at Science North at the end of the summer, the Sudbury-created exhibit, which features some of Von Wong’s large-scale art installations, will go on to tour other science centres.
“This is my first time ever having art and science meet, and this is my first time ever having a piece that’s touring,” said Von Wong.
“You spend so much time, energy and effort to create something, and the hope is that people see it and resonate with it. To know that it’s going to be moving across North America, engaging people in issues that are big in a way that’s been carefully designed by a team like Science North that has a lot of experience doing this is really, really cool.”
Artist Benjamin Von Wong with his Giant Plastic Tap installation June 19 at the new Science North exhibit Earth Works: Where Art Meets Change based on Von Wong’s art. . Heidi Ulrichsen/Sudbury.com
With Grade 6 students from MacLeod Public School invited to the opening, Von Wong said he loved seeing the kids running around and interacting with the exhibit.
In fact, his own four-year-old nephew, Jasper, was one of the first kids who checked it out, as he travelled to Sudbury with Von Wong’s parents for the opening.
The artist is known for bringing his pieces to international pollution summits to influence high-level politicians, but the Science North exhibit shares them with the general population.
“I hope that people feel inspired to take action,” Von Wong said.
“I mean, very often these big issues invite us to look the other way to treat these big global problems with apathy rather than action. I think that even if we’re taking small actions, while they’re not going to change anything, they change our attitude towards the issue, meaning they give us a sense of agency.”
Science North CEO Ashley Larose said by bringing science and art together, the exhibit development team created an immersive experience that’s not only visually stunning, but intellectually stimulating.
“The installations are striking, they’re imaginative and they are impossible to ignore,” she said. “But what makes Earth Works truly remarkable is what lies beneath that artistry. Through the transformation of discarded materials into extraordinary works of art, Benjamin challenges us to look differently at the things we throw away and at the impact that our choices have on the world around us. His works sparks curiosity, inspires conversation, and reminds us that creativity can be a powerful force for change.”
MacLeod Public School students James Schisson (left) and Dino Ajueze check out the new Science North exhibit Earth Works: Where Art Meets Change on June 19. Heidi Ulrichsen/Sudbury.com
Sudbury MP Viviane Lapointe and Mayor Paul Lefebvre were among those at the opening.
Given waste collection is a municipal responsibility, the mayor had a few things to say on that topic, sharing that only 50 per cent of residents use their green cart compost bins, meaning that waste goes into the city’s landfills.
“Landfills have a life span and it’s massively expensive to create a new one,” said Lefebvre.
“So, the longer we maintain our landfills, the better it is for all of us, not just not for economical reasons, but for environmental reasons.
“That’s why I’m thrilled to be here, and I want to recognize and thank Benjamin Von Wong for being here, and that we’re going to be seeing your exhibit. As you know, I’m a huge supporter and fan of the arts, and I firmly believe that art has a unique ability to make complex challenges make it more personal.
“It can move us beyond facts and statistics and help us understand the impact our choices have on our environment, our community and future generations.”
Heidi Ulrichsen is Sudbury.com’s assistant editor. She also covers education and the arts scene.