A powerful art installation inspired by Auguste Rodin's famous sculpture "The Thinker" has been placed outside the United Nations European headquarters in Geneva, serving as a stark reminder of the growing plastic pollution crisis. The artwork, titled "The Thinker's Burden," depicts the iconic figure gradually being engulfed by a sea of plastic waste including containers, bottles, toys, and fishing nets.
The temporary and evolving installation was created by Canadian artist, activist, and photographer Benjamin Von Wong to coincide with crucial negotiations that began Tuesday, August 5th in Geneva. These talks aim to establish the world's first legally binding international treaty to end plastic pollution globally.
Von Wong hopes his artwork will capture the attention of diplomats from the 193 countries represented at the UN, encouraging them to consider "the impact of plastic pollution on human health" during their negotiations. "Not just for our generation, but for all generations to come," the engaged artist emphasizes.
The sculpture presents a haunting image of environmental crisis. In one hand, The Thinker holds several crushed water and soda bottles, while in the other hand, he cradles a baby that appears to be in poor condition, symbolizing future generations bearing the consequences of current environmental negligence.
"Over the next 10 days, we will be adding more and more plastic to this installation to show the growing cost of what we will pass on to future generations if we don't take urgent action," Von Wong explained to AFP. The daily addition of plastic waste throughout the negotiation period serves as a visual countdown, demonstrating the accelerating pace of pollution accumulation.
"If we want to protect health, we must think about toxic chemicals in the environment. We hope for a strong and ambitious treaty," he added, emphasizing the urgency of the environmental and health crisis.
These Geneva negotiations come after the failure of talks in Busan, South Korea last December, making this round of discussions particularly crucial. Delegates will meet from August 5th through 14th, working to hammer out details of what could become a landmark environmental agreement.
The artistic installation serves as both a protest and a plea, transforming the recognizable figure of Rodin's contemplative thinker into a symbol of humanity's burden in addressing one of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time. As negotiations continue, the sculpture will evolve daily, its growing accumulation of plastic waste serving as a visual representation of the mounting crisis that world leaders must address.
The 10-day installation aims to maintain pressure on negotiators throughout the diplomatic process, ensuring that the human and environmental costs of plastic pollution remain visible and present in their deliberations. Von Wong's work represents a growing trend of activist art that seeks to influence policy discussions through powerful visual statements placed strategically at sites of political decision-making.
