AN EXPLORATION OF WATER AND THE PLASTIC THAT OFTEN CONTAINS IT

Composed of over 2,228 plastic water bottles collected from the Vanderbilt campus, the three installations that make up Bottled explores the many components of this liquid integral to our existence. The pieces were located in Sarratt Student Center, Olin Lawn, and along the construction fence on Vanderbilt Place. Respecting the environment and the medium, all of the projects were recycled after the installation. Launched on March 22, 2014 (World Water Day), each piece had its own distinctive message, ranging from sustainability on campus to the limited access of clean water around the globe. While we are glad to see that these bottles are being recycled, ultimately we hope that this number will one day become zero in order to create a truly sustainable campus. The Bottled installation shows how the struggle for sustainability can be represented through one of its significant obstacles: plastic bottles.

The pieces were done in partnership with SPEAR, an organization dedicated to increasing environmental awareness and promoting more environmentally sustainable habits and infrastructure within the Vanderbilt and Nashville community

Plastic Water Bottles, Paint, Metal Rods, Bolts, Dowels, LED Lights, Wood, Wood Glue

On View

Mar 22 – Apri 14, 2014

Olin Lawn, Vanderbilt Place Construction Fence (Power Plant Conversion), Sarratt Student Center

The Team

Project Leaders Kion Sawney, Nathan Markiewitz, and Jamie Cohen. Architects Ian Myers, Jamie Cohen, Zach Elliot, and Taylor Beck. Tamara Cecala, Vibhuti Krishna, Zach Berkowitz, Michael Diamond,

Partner

Students Promoting Environmental Awareness and Responsibility (SPEAR) and SustainVU.

Special thank you to SustainVU for assisting in the bottle collection.

THE INSTALLATIONS

Bottled: Wave

We use water constantly. Whether you’re singing in the shower or talking on the phone, you use water. The generation of energy often heavily relies on water, affecting the ecosystem in sometimes radical ways.

According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, thermoelectric plants make up 39% of all water withdrawals in the US, second to irrigation and livestock. When addressing our personal environmental impact, we often see water and energy as two separate resources, rather than as an interconnected system.Bottled: Wave uses water bottles, a familiar unit, to present one’s daily use of water, contextualizing the water-energy nexus.

Bottled: Chandelier

Vanderbilt constantly continues to make university life more sustainable. Bottled: Chandelier consists of 250 water bottles, all of which were provided by the Sustainability and Environmental Management Office. Of the 60 million gallons of water saved every year, 28 million is due to the use of low flow, high performance showerheads. This chandelier demonstrates the intersection between art, function, and sustainability—a fusion for which our community should strive.

Bottled: Towers

We live in a country where the water that flows from our taps is cleaner than that in the bottles most of us can afford to buy. It was easy to fill these bottles with clean water, and for no cost. Yet on our planet, 780 million people living in Africa, Asia, and even sometimes parts of the US do not have access to safe water. As the water refracts the lights behind it, we ask you to reflect on how water, or the lack thereof, touches every aspect of human life.