Pullomeri (“An Ocean of Bottles”)

Materials: about 300 000 plastic bottles (Pet and PE-HD plastic), latex paint, spruce ply, and graffiti paint

The piece is built from hundreds of thousands of plastic bottles, and it represents Salmi’s worry about the future of our oceans: What will happen if we keep dumping billions of kilos of plastic originating from tourism, sewage waste, the fishing industry and ocean traffic, etc.? Once the waste hits the oceans, it affects all living beings, not only as massive islands of garbage but as micro waste, which finds its way to the intestinal tracts of all living things.

Plastic is reused in Finland. We recycle up to 90% of all plastic bottles, so that they won’t end up in the seas and oceans. Kaisa Salmi’s Pullomeri invites the viewer to swim in the sea invaded by garbage and to ride its plastic waves. The piece aims to evoke thoughts through embodied experiences and embodiment.

The exhibition also includes a soundscape designed by Esa Kotilainen.

The visitors are allowed to move within and spend time in the bottom-lit bottle ocean about 1,5 meters deep.

The exhibition also included a discussion panel. The panelists were: Satu Hassi (Member of Parliament, The Chair of the Parliament’s Environmental Committee), Esa Kotilainen (composer), Anu Miettinen (provincial artist laureate for environmental art), Vesa Kärhä (CEO at Muoviteollisuus ry), and Outi Setälä (researcher for The Finnish Environment Institute).