Calling for public attention to plastic pollution
“A whale is the largest mammal in the water, and to see a life-sized whale made from nothing but plastic waste, breaching from the water towards the shoreline seemed like a good way to call attention to the problem of plastic waste in our oceans.”
– Jason Klimoski, Principal, StudioKCA
"Whale in Love is a physical example of why we need to change how we use and dispose of plastic in the world today."
– Lesley Chang, Principal, StudioKCA
An environmental landmark for Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Scientists estimate there is currently 150 million tons of plastic trash in the ocean, with approximately 8 million tons added every year. Established as the most important port city of Taiwan, an island country, Kaohsiung has decided to take action and create something to increase public awareness of this global environmental crisis.
Responding to this call to action, New Aspect Promotion Corporation asked art and design duo Jason Klimoski and Lesley Chang (StudioKCA) to team up with Archasia, and New Value Construction to create StudioKCA’s latest work here in Kaohsiung, Whale in Love. With the support from the Kaohsiung City Government, local citizens collaborated in collecting large amounts of plastic waste from Kaohsiung’s beaches and recycling programs-over 15 tons! All of that plastic waste was turned into the astonishing 7-story whale breaching out of the Love River, the symbol of Kaohsiung connecting lands and oceans, demonstrating our dedication to raising awareness of the issue of plastic entering into our oceans.
At 18m tall Whale in Love stands out as the largest water-mounted eco-installation in Taiwan. While this collaborative piece embodies the philosophy of performance art, the design of the whale also illustrates the spirit of environmental art as it integrates well with the scenery of the Love River. Moreover, the creation process of this work of art has become a social event that has connected people from all walks of life who share a common love for the environment. Working hand in hand to protect our one and only mother earth.