The Art of Water

by Michelle Albinson

Do you really think about water issues when you turn on your tap? We all know we need water and we know there are places where lack of clean water (or any water) is a problem. Some of us have even heard about the prediction that in around eleven years we might be out of clean water to the extent where 56% is the full amount the demand will exceed the supply. In other words half the world will be suffering from lack of (clean) water and a staggering amount of people will die.

This is not a happy thought, but it cannot be ignored. Art for Water is an organisation that is taking the initiative to make fun projects for any kind of audience, as long as they are willing and able to learn. Sadly they are not locally based, but it doesn’t mean we cannot learn from them and their action-taking.


Why Should We Care

These days it is not enough to tell people not to waste water. When you live in close proximity to other people in an apartment building, you cannot help but hear the amount of water being wasted. Bathtubs are endlessly being filled up more than once a day and hardly used except to wash a few clothing pieces before another bathtub is filled up. Taps are constantly running as someone brushes her teeth and washes her face, no idea about the heavy impact that has on humans around her.

Yes, this is not a “save the earth” call, but a “save the humans” call. People are dying from diseases they get from drinking dirty water and we, living with clean water in our very taps, often think of it as “not my problem”.

This is where Art for Water comes in, as they work with clever, creative plans to make people, like us, aware of the damage, issues and troubles surrounding water. They give people the opportunity to express water in an artistic form in order to make a difference.


What They Do

Art for Water helps people to set up a learning opportunity. Since those “let’s use less water” talks don’t work as effectively as they may have helped earlier, they use other methods. They turn the learning opportunity into a project filled with dance and musical performances, exhibitions of different kinds, readings and many more. Age doesn’t matter, as you’re never too old or too young to learn.

Art for Water creates a stage for people to create their artwork, whether it is for a private event or for a school. They form a unique bond between like-minded people and maybe even make artists aware of other artistic opportunities.


Your Challenge

Where the opportunity offered by Art for Water is out of bounds for most of us, because of location and locality, it can still act as motivation and inspiration to do something big and unique. As artists we have the ability to think out of the box and to use very little to make a big impact.

Your current GREEN YOUR ART challenge is to create an artwork about water.

Your artwork can be a performance, painted piece, land art or any kind of art form you would like to bring to life. The goal of this artwork is to move individuals into realisation and active change. Send your artwork pictures to artlovenature@gmail to be featured on this blog! The deadline is on 30 June 2014.

For more information of Art for Water, visit their website at artforwater.org

Better Living Challenge

Have an idea that relates to access to electricity, water and sanitation, water/flood-proofing, fireproofing, ventilation, heating, cooling, space constraints, safety or privacy? The Better Living Challenge is a call to designers and innovators; manufacturers and retailers; students and professionals; self-taught designers and tradesmen; architects and engineers; to develop home improvement solutions that support a better quality of life for all.

The continually growing need for homes outstrips the capacity and resources of the government to deliver. There is a need to find home improvement solutions that are affordable and allow people to incrementally improve their dwellings at their own pace. Such solutions will contribute towards improved living conditions and quality of life. The Better Living Challenge has three entry categories.

STRUCTURAL HOME

• Innovative products and materials used in the construction of homes.

• Innovative approaches and components for self-built homes and structures.

• Systems and products that allow for incremental expansion of existing structures.

COMFORTABLE HOME

• Products, services and systems which create a more liveable and enjoyable internal environment, including improved temperature control and internal air quality, as well as light, energy and water efficiency.

• Products and systems that address fire risk.

• Modular and space saving furniture and storage ideas.

• Solutions to create flexible public/private space for homes where a single space may have multiple uses throughout the day.

CONNECTED HOME

• Products, services or systems that digitally and physically connect a home to its surroundings and beyond.

• Solutions that connect a home to the physical environment, including food production and waste water systems.

• Off-grid solutions for individual households.

VERY IMPORTANT:

• You need to show you have considered the environmental impact of your products, and explored environmentally-friendly materials and efficient production techniques.
• Solutions need to be financially accessible to the low-income market. You need to demonstrate how scale, production and material costs impact on price, and show you have thought about how to get your product, system or service to market in an affordable manner.
• A sustainable business model will touch on how your solution can be replicated at a local level. What can be done to enhance what is already produced locally? Has thought been given to working with existing low-income housing providers?

ENTER your product or idea at betterlivingchallenge.co.za

Sustainable design prototypes from the Fresh Talent competition exhibited at The Hub, Johannesburg

[Issued by MANGO-OMC on behalf of Shift]

Prototypes of the winning designs of the 2011-2012 Fresh Talent competition, hosted by the then known Eco Design Initiative (which in August rebranded to Shift: Inspiring sustainable design) will be on show at The Hub in Johannesburg from 14 November. The exhibition marks the final leg of the past year’s competition and coincides with Global Entrepreneurship week, an international initiative that introduces the act and art of entrepreneurship to young people in various countries.

The exhibition will run from 14-24 November and entry is free.

Says Janine Johnston, CEO of Shift: 

“We are very excited to launch the Johannesburg exhibition of the 2011-2012 competition on this date as one of our aims is to not only teach young creatives to design sustainably but also to think in an entrepreneurial way when designing. After all, sustainable design aims to deliver social, environmental and economic benefits.”

The annual Fresh Talent competition invites young people to design sustainable solutions for a range of challenges faced by people and the environment.  Showcasing the designs and concept prototypes of the 2011-2012 winners and multi-media stories of the finalists’ journey into sustainable design through their participation in Shift’s educational exchange program, the exhibition also offers the opportunity to view global examples of sustainable design curated with INDEX: Design to Improve Life®.

The winners of the 2011-2012 Fresh Talent Competition are:

Gabriele Birkenmayer for Shoots –A Grassroots Bamboo Project (first place)

Shoots – a grassroots bamboo project

“Shoots” is a full-cycle approach to sustainability that produces well-designed, good quality consumer products, furniture in particular, while addressing unemployment in South Africa and caring for the environment.

Shoots aims to involve rural communities in the planting and farming of bamboo in areas that require rehabilitation, such as those affected by soil erosion or water pollution. Bamboo is known to enrich and stabilise soil due to its root system that soaks up heavy metals and aids in water purification. Bamboo is also a highly sustainable plant, reaching maturity in 5 – 6 years and since it is a grass and not a tree, harvesting bamboo does not kill the plant. A bamboo ‘clump’ can be selectively harvested annually for over 100 years. Bamboo also produces up to 30% more oxygen than any other tree, making it not only a sustainable material, but also very environmentally friendly.

The rural communities responsible for growing these ‘plantations’ will be trained in harvesting the plants, converting it into laminated or strand woven boards and how to convert these boards into self-assemble furniture which will ‘last a lifetime’ – in terms of both material durability and non-conformity to any fashion trends.

Wayde Dyers for his Vermiculture Growth System (second place) 

Vermiculture Growth System

The Vermiculture Growth System is a compact composting and rain harvesting system utilizes the benefits of worms – nature’s own recyclers, to convert food waste into nutrient rich, 100% organic fertilizer while harnessing the benefits of rain water to feed plants in home, vegetable and potted gardens.

The Vermiculture Growth System is easy to use and versatile. The unit, which is compact enough to fit on a balcony, in a shed or shaded outdoor location, is made from 70% recycled plastic.

The Vermiculture Growth System consists of five trays and a water catchment. The composting worms, Red Wigglers, start off in the first working tray and they simply eat their way up, “wriggling” into the working trays above, where they can detect the food scraps. Along the way, the worms produce castings (manure)  - also known as “black gold”; trays of which can be removed, diluted and hydrated using the water collected in the system’s rain harvester for plant nourishment.

The cycle is never ending.

Marieke Adams for the Ikghuphu Sleeve (third place)

Ikghuphu Sleeve

Ikghuphu is a series of laptop sleeves made from wet suite factory waste. It draws inspiration from the Ndebele’s abstract patterns decorating clay walls, translating the colours and patterns into a multi-dimensional textile that provides tactile interest and additional protective cushioning for the product inside.

Made using neoprene offcuts –factory waste, and traditional hand crafting techniques this design combines influences of traditional and contemporary homes, in both function and material.

The traditional stitch and craft techniques used in the production of Ikghuphu Sleeves create more opportunities for skills development, job creation and economic empowerment, especially for women. Using “waste” materials reduces the environmental impact and significantly reduces the material costs of production.

The Ikghuphu Sleeve is a sustainable design that appeals to the global contemporary market of laptop users and improves opportunities for sustainable development.

The Exhibition is free and open daily from 9am to 9pm at The Hub, 4 De Beer St (cnr Smit St), Braamfontein, Johannesburg, 2000.

For more information visit www.theshift.org.za, or email info@theshift.org.za or watch the latest videos on http://vimeo.com/theshift.