Commissioned by online eco lifestyle and health retailer Faithful to Nature as one of the organisation’s Plastic-Free July initiatives, the 4.5m-long by 2.5m-high sculpture was designed and created by Our Workshop, a Langa-based non-profit headed by internationally acclaimed designer Heath Nash.
Created from upcycled plastic and repurposed materials, the unique sculpture, located on the V&A’s Flagpole Terrace overlooking quay five, is interactive in that the public are invited to throw plastic waste into the fish’s mouth, filling its belly while highlighting how much plastic waste ends up in the bellies of marine life.
“Every year up to 12 million metric tonnes of plastic lands up in our oceans,” says Faithful to Nature’s CEO Katrien Grobler. “Participating in feeding Faithful plastic is a tangible, fun tool to educate and drive awareness around plastic’s negative effect on ocean life. Public participation means each person can be instrumental in raising awareness and inspiring others into action.”
Taking the lead on creating A Fish Named Faithful was Our Workshop’s project manager Richard Mandongwe. He says, “Making a fish as huge as Faithful is always a challenge but I enjoyed it, especially knowing that I was doing it for a good cause. People do not pay attention to plastic’s impact on our environment but I hope through Faithful we are able to shed some light on where most plastic waste ends up and how to preserve nature.”
Adding to that Heath Nash says, “We all need to start caring more about what we throw away, what we buy and what our individual responsibility is for what lands up in the sea.”
As a pioneer of ethical retail in South Africa, Faithful to Nature provides access to products that respect nature, and endeavours to stock products with the least amount of plastic. “Retailers have a big role to play in reducing plastic packaging waste,” says Grobler. “Going plastic-free is asking for a complete paradigm shift but it is our duty to make the process easier for shoppers and inspire more careful shopping and packaging decisions.”
A Fish Named Faithful is mobile and will be at the V&A Waterfront until Wednesday, 31 July; thereafter it will be moved to a new location to assist with the clean up of plastic and pollution.
“Every less straw makes a difference, every bit helps. Let us come together to feed A Fish Named Faithful and add our voices to the plastic-free conversation,” concludes Grobler.
