Bottled Ocean 2120: George Nuku, the Ocean, plastic and the role of artists in discussing climate change

Abstract

This article discusses George Nuku’s artwork Bottled Ocean 2120 by focusing on the two core components of its title, the ocean and plastic, in order to explore the role of the Oceanic artist in the global climate change debate. Drawing on the understanding that artists can help to change perspectives in the debate on climate change and justice, the focus in this article is on Oceanic artists who move the discussion beyond the idea of Oceania being the region that contributes the least but is challenged the most by climate disaster, which includes plastic pollution. With his Bottled Ocean series, George Nuku laments the state of plastic-filled ocean in a region that expresses a connection to it. He urges the viewer to stop the single use of plastic, an action that he hopes to inspire by considering and demonstrating the divinity of the material.