Amidst the bustling charm of Cape Town’s Waterfront, a striking sight unfolds: suspended from the rafters, a trolley adorned with five enormous, vibrant bags crafted from repurposed materials, weaving a narrative where waste transforms into captivating art.
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The V&A Waterfront heralded a new era with the debut of the ‘Our Better Nature’ (OBN) platform.
V&A Waterfront senior marketing manager, Nisha Maharaj, explains, ‘OBN is the V&A’s platform that speaks to our commitment to sustainability and an invitation to our community to join the journey as we believe every little act of good culminates in big changes.’
‘We encourage conscious consumption as a way to reduce reliance on landfill and inspire our community to be more responsible consumers.’
At the heart of this platform is a massive suspended shopping trolley, measuring 2.7 meters high, 3 meters wide, and 1.5 meters deep.
The installation at the V&A Waterfront is a collaboration involving Platform Creative Agency and local designers. Designed by Matt Edwards, it aims to raise consumer awareness about waste and promote conscious consumption by repurposing discarded materials.
Cathy O’Clery, creative director at Platform Creative, adds, “Our hope is to inspire people to rethink their habits and make more sustainable choices. To do this we collaborated with creative local artists, especially those who could turn waste materials into beautiful art pieces.”
Crafted by Brendan Wessels and his team at Santa World, this custom steel trolley showcases engineering and artistic prowess. It includes five large crocheted shopping bags, each 1 meter wide and 1.2 to 1.4 meters high, made by the Re.Bag.Re.Use team from Hout Bay.
Two vibrant shopping bags, pink and blue, are crocheted from approximately 660 empty bread bags each.
The orange bag is repurposed from Discovery Vitality T-shirts, the black from VHS tapes, and the brown from recycled rope.
These bags showcase artwork by Richard Mandongwe from Makombe Artworks, featuring oversized toothbrushes, hangers, bleach bottles, shoeboxes, and batteries—all creatively crafted from various materials. Each bag is supported by a steel wire frame.
The installation, on display until September 2024 at Victoria Wharf Shopping Centre, aims to promote mindful shopping and packaging habits. ‘Our Better Nature’ demonstrates how acting from our better nature can bring significant positive changes for the environment.
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Picture: ReBag.ReUse / Facebook