Essay by Stephie Ng for Contextualising Practice
‘So, we can’t save the world by playing by the rules, because the rules have to be changed. Everything needs to change and it has to start today’ – Greta Thunberg, 2018
In this essay, I will discuss the importance of shifting traditional human-centred thinking to nature-centred thinking in striving for an ecological future. Unpacking the concept starts with my narrative of growing up on reclaimed land in Hong Kong, highlighting the rapid urbanisation and human development that have altered the region’s landscape. The discussion further expands on the concept of the Anthropocene, introduced by Paul J Crutzen, and how economic expansion has brought forth some of the most problematic environmental issues. Through the lens of my artistic practice, Untitled (2023) and Hollow Tree and Oil Pipeline (2024), I reflect on the use of bioplastic in art as a metaphor for the transient and interconnected nature of life. The concept of new materialism is introduced to further support the argument for a more respectful and symbiotic relationship with the environment and its materiality. The essay concludes with a call for artists to embrace sustainable practice and contribute to ecological awareness, highlighting the role of artists in cultivating environmental consciousness and advocating for change in the world.
My home
Since birth, I have lived on reclaimed land in the Tsuen Wan district of Hong Kong. In 1898, areas such as Tsuen Wan, Kwai Chung and Tsing Yi were leased and went under the rule of the British Government for 99 years due to the Convention of the Extension of Hong Kong Territory. After World War Two, the government carried out a large-scale reclamation project in Tsuen Wan Bay, drawing materials from nearby hills and expanding the land from South Castle Peak Road to the sea to provide opportunities for early urban development. While my grandparents were the settlers of Tsuen Wan, my parents decided to settle our forever home on this newly reclaimed land.
A further development, named the New Town Development Project, aimed to provide housing for about 1.8 million people in Tsuen Wan, Sha Tin and Tuen Mun districts. Starting in the 1980s, many reclamation projects took place all around Hong Kong to cope with the rapid expansion of the population. According to data from the Hong Kong Civil Engineering and Development Department (2016), the reclaimed land in Hong Kong is about 6,954 hectares, accounting for about 7 per cent of the total land area. We strip resources from the land and discard them into the sea, destroying sea creatures’ habitats for our needs and building homes on top of theirs. In addition to water pollution, Hong Kong also deals with air pollution, soil pollution, plastic pollution, land waste problems and biodiversity loss (see Olivia 2024). Despite the urgency of tackling environmental problems, there was a backlash in recent legislative discussions about the development of South Lantau Island, the largest island in Hong Kong that is rich in biodiversity and natural habitats. One of our legislative council members, Micheal Tien Pauk Sun mentioned, ‘又保育，日日都保育!’ (Inmediahk.net 2024), meaning ‘conservation, all we do is conservation!’ expressing his disappointment that environmental conservation hinders Hong Kong’s economic development. I realise that environmental protection will never be the first priority in Hong Kong. I always feel guilty for being a beneficiary of the environment. Therefore, this has me rethink my relationship with the environment and how I can help with the situation.
The Anthropocene and Bioplastic
The term Anthropocene was introduced in 2002 by the Dutch meteorologist and atmospheric chemist Paul J Crutzen to describe the impact of human development in shaping the geological and geobiological epoch of our time. The acceleration of the Anthropocene happened after World War Two, when the world reinforced the growth of industrialisation, techno-scientific development, population explosion and economic expansion (see Will et al. 2011).
Under the rapid expansion of the economy, plastic production has grown. According to Heather, plastic is the first synthetic polymer, and it has always been a profit-driven material, intertwining with the extension of capitalism and modernity (2015). Single-use plastic is extensively used in packaging for immediate disposal, facilitating hasty consumerism. Plastic brings forth some of the most problematic environmental pollution due to its longevity and impermeability. In fact, plastic molecules cannot react with other carbon-dependent life forms, which means the material cannot transform into energy, losing its purpose in the ecosystem cycle. According to the latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC 2023), more than 99% of plastic production relies on fossil feedstock, which significantly contributes to greenhouse gas emissions that lead to global warming. To achieve net zero emissions, it is essential to close the loop of carbon and carbon dioxide by using biomass feedstock and recycling materials.
Considering this, transitioning to bioplastics is increasingly pressing as they are biodegradable. According to European Bioplastic (2015), plastic can be divided into two types, biodegradable and non-biodegradable, while the materials applied can also be divided into bio-based feedstock and petroleum-based feedstock. In this essay, I will mainly focus on biodegradable bio-based bioplastic, which is directly related to my practice.
Artistic Practice: Untitled and Hollow Tree and Oil Pipeline
Untitled (2023) articulates my viewpoint towards the established system. The work is a composition of bioplastic, mortar and found bricks arranged in the form of a brick wall. Through the work, I tried to symbolise the very foundation of our human civilisation. In contrast to traditional synthetic plastic, the ephemerality of bioplastic enables the material to degrade and reform, focusing on the agency of the material in response to its environment. The bioplastic is blended with mortar, a sticking paste that hardens to bind building bricks together. I intentionally used mortar as a building material rather than cement to create bricks. This is linked to my experience during the 2019 social movement in Hong Kong; our government applied glue between bricks on the pavement to prevent protestors from digging them up. The juxtaposition invites contemplation of the political system not only in Hong Kong but also around the world. Whether through destruction or reshaping, the brick wall’s formation remains in a constant state of transformation, potentially introducing new life in the process of molding in the bioplastic. The work is a statement demanding changes in our civilisation.
Ecologist and writer Melinda H Benson (2019) has stated that the Anthropocene is more than just a new epoch; it also provides a new opportunity to embrace a new ontology. The perception of humans as separate from and doing things to nature is historically embedded in some of us. Tracking back to the legacy of Enlightenment, where many elements of the current legal and thought systems were established. The mechanism of Enlightenment in eighteenth-century Europe reinforced the anthropocentric mindset: human domination of nature (see André 2011). It influenced existing government structures prioritising capitalism development over the ecological system, employing a human-centred view of the world. The world is on fire, with increasing global temperatures, rising sea levels, mass extinctions and countless conflicts spreading across the globe. There is an urgent need to cultivate new thinking to change the situation. According to the ecologist and philosopher Timothy Morton (2010), by adopting ecological thought, thinking that acknowledges everything is connected in the world, we will understand that there is no difference between humans and non-humans. This thinking highlights the importance of coexistence in the regime of ecology, shifting the mainstream anthropocentric to an eccentric belief for an ecological future. Humans should not be separated from nature; we are always part of the ecosystem.
Hollow Tree and Oil Pipeline
We stripped the eucalyptus tree of its bark,
Enveloping it in synthetic sheaths.
These synthetics fracture into a myriad of microplastic granules,
Mistaking themselves for the tree’s sustenance.
They accumulate, conceal, supersede.
A new normal, takes form.
Stephie Ng, Hollow Tree and Oil Pipeline, 2024
Hollow Tree and Oil Pipeline (2024) uses a more narrative approach to express my thoughts on the changing environment. It is an illuminated tube-like sculpture made of bioplastic, hanging on the wall with found industrial materials. The correlation of nature and human construction inspires the work. The plastic bag was introduced to American supermarkets in the mid-1970s. Plastic bags’ durability and waterproof properties are more accountable and reusable than easily ripped paper bags. Therefore, to reduce deforestation in the production of paper bags and wastage from high deposal of damaged paper bags (see Henry 2003). I find the fact that plastic bag was originally invented to protect the environment paradoxical. During the creative process, I am highly aware of the choice of material and try to make art in an ecological sense. Firstly, I limit myself to mainly using biodegradable materials and found objects.
Furthermore, recycled bioplastic from my previous artwork was incorporated into this work. Additionally, natural pigment extracted from the fallen leaves collected around my neighbourhood was used to dye the bioplastic. While taking inspiration from nature, the material is made into thin sheets mimicking the papery and flaky layers of the eucalyptus tree. The texture of the sheets changes according to the surrounding environment – soft when the air is humid and bristle when it is dry. The transformation projects a sense of aliveness and decay to the sculpture.
Adding to this feeling, political theorist and philosopher Jane Bennett suggested under the regime of new materialism that, all non-human bodies, forces and forms are considered to have their own vitality and agency. It is essential for me to have a constant engagement with the material I am working with, understanding that my role as an artist should not overpower or dominate the material, as we are coexisting and cocreating through the art journey. Professor Carl Knappett and Lambros Malafouris (2008) captured material agency as the possibility that things can act. While new materialism expands the domain of agency, ‘agency to not only other sentient beings but to everything that influences and interacts, as well as the processes by which interaction occur’. (Melinda 2019). Moreover, new materialism is particularly important in reviving ecocentrism, emphasising the interconnectedness among all matter and advocating individuals for a shift towards a more respectful interaction with the world.
Role of artist
Art historian Sophie Kromholz (2019) notes that ‘[i]n this world of panic, there is the opportunity enacted through artistic practice to consider human impact through action and consequence’. There is a need for artists to review our art practice through an ecology lens. Art writer and educator Linda Weintraub (2012) critiqued the ‘cradle to grave’ behaviour observed in artists’ studios, where many artists use single-use resources and materials that are inefficient to recycle and contaminate the environment. Artists are encouraged to perform ‘cradle-to-cradle’ art practice by balancing using and replenishing resources and reusing and recycling materials. Practising sustainable methodologies in art creation bolsters a system’s carrying capacity. Adding to Linda’s vision (2012), she mentioned that artists could contribute in diverse societal roles, from fostering ecological understanding, becoming technical designers of extensive ecological applications, or being healers of the planet’s infirmities and curators of the planet’s resources. Using bioplastic as a creative material is my first step in cultivating an ecological mindset.
Conclusion
In conclusion, my experience of the impacts of rapid urbanisation and reclamation development in Tsuen Wan and broader Hong Kong underscores my urgent need to reevaluate our relationship with the natural world. The experiences of human development and environmental degradation in my hometown are emblematic of the broader Anthropocene epoch. As we confront the acceleration of climate crises, sustainable art practice is essential for me as an art student.
The use of biodegradable bio-based bioplastic in my two artworks, Untitled and Hollow Tree and Oil Pipeline, suggests an alternative to traditional human-centered ontology and explores the possibility of coexistence and cooperation with non-human entities. These pieces call for a departure from anthropocentrism towards an ecocentrism worldview, embracing the new materialist thinking and ecological methodology in recognising all matters’ intrinsic vitality and agency. Foremost, I wish to guide both the audience and me towards more sustainable ways of living.
Through the process, I recognise the unique role of the artist in this transformation. As advocated by Linda Weintraub, artists hold an important role throughout the creative journey; we can act as cultivators, designers, healers and curators in the world. I understand the influence of my creative journey is as crucial as the final product. Therefore, I will candidly review my creative journey in a more sustainable sense by continuing my exploration of biodegradable materials and reusing and recycling resources. I aim to revive the interconnectedness between humans and nature for an ecological world by fostering an ecological mindset.
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