Photos: Shedd Exhibit Turns Plastic Marine Trash Into Stunning Sea-Animal Sculptures To Make A Troubling Point

By Stephen Gossett in Arts & Entertainment on Sep 20, 2017 11:00PM

At Shedd Aquarium's ecological-minded new exhibit, you'll be able to catch a 10-foot-fall jellyfish—except it's actually made from plastic found stranded in or near bodies of water. Or a multi-colored, large-scale wall sculpture of a fish—which is actually made up from discarded flip-flops.

The new exhibition, appropriately titled Washed Ashore, displays large, sea-creature sculptures that were made completely from water garbage. The message behind the exhibit is as clear as it is urgent, that plastic pollution poses a great threat to marine life, for both ocean and freshwater animals.

“The colorful and dramatic sculptures are meant to be a wake-up call, showcasing the devastating effects of plastic to aquatic life,” said Angela Haseltine Pozzi, the artist behind the project. “Over the past six years, we have processed tons of plastic pollution from Pacific beaches to create monumental art that is awakening the hearts and minds of viewers to the global marine debris crisis."

Shedd is the first stop for the traveling exhibition, The first group of 10 sculptures will be on view beginning Saturday, Sept. 23. More will be added in November, then another batch in April 2018, for a total of 19 sculptures. The exhibition is slated to run a full year.

"More plastic has been produced in the last 10 years than during the last century - nearly 300 million tons every year," said Dr. Bridget Coughlin, president & CEO of Shedd Aquarium, in a release. "A plastic straw dropped during a picnic at 12th Street Beach can harm a local Great Lakes sturgeon or travel through Lake Michigan, up the Great Lakes system, along the St. Lawrence River and out to the Atlantic Ocean. There, it can choke a fish, seal, seabird, or sea turtle. This thought-provoking exhibit helps Shedd continue to have a dialogue with our guests about how small choices, done by many people, can have a huge impact."

Pozzi will speak about her practice during Saturday's opening. There will also be stations where visitors can customize reusable bags to keep, among other educational activities.

An estimated 22 million pounds of plastic flow into the Great Lakes every year, according to Shedd. They also note that, by 2050, the amount of plastic in oceans will weigh more than the amount of fish, some experts believe.