imagine scooping out waste from the sea’s plastic ‘soup’ with a dream catcher… that’s just what GBO envisioned for the plastic catcher pavilion. the korean design firm designed an installation that provides a covered shelter in the city, but at the same time raises awareness for the growing plastic problem in the ocean.

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when seen from below, GBO intended viewers to experience a fish’s-eye view when gazing upwards at the plastic soup filling the water and partially blocking the sunlight. when looking down from above, viewers can enjoy a bird’s-eye view as if flying over the pile of waste. when observed from the side, creatures appear holding up the plastic waste, resembling the iconic character of atlas in greek mythology, holding the world on his back.

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in this space, visitors are encouraged to become aware about harmful consequences of plastic waste. at the same time GBO imagines viewers to experience the unspoken ‘beauty of plastic’ itself. the plastic waste to be placed on the catcher is collected in advance of the installation, by hands-on civic participation and volunteering.

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the campaign will continue during the exhibition period. colorful plastic waste is set up on the top and only clear PET bottles are placed on the floor. below that, the graphics showing creatures suffering from plastic waste are displayed. the act of stepping on clear PET bottles creates plastic crushing sounds and it reminds visitors of an animal’s painful moaning sound.

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the pavilion offers a ‘multi-sensory experience’ that combines the sight of the plastic and animal photos, the hearing of the plastic crushing and spatial movement. at night, the plastic catcher turns into a ‘monumental moon of the city’ by LED lights mounted on the net. it changes from new moon through crescent, quarter and half moon to full moon during the night. ironically, the plastic waste lights up the city. GBO aims to move the pavilion across different cities raising awareness of plastic while providing a colorful shelter in the middle of a public space.

gbo-plastic-catcher-pavilion-ocean-soup-09-25-2019-designboom

gbo-plastic-catcher-pavilion-ocean-soup-09-25-2019-designboom

GBO's pavilion imagines scooping out plastic from the ocean with a giant dream catcher

GBO's pavilion imagines scooping out plastic from the ocean with a giant dream catcher

GBO's pavilion imagines scooping out plastic from the ocean with a giant dream catcher

GBO's pavilion imagines scooping out plastic from the ocean with a giant dream catcher

GBO's pavilion imagines scooping out plastic from the ocean with a giant dream catcher

GBO's pavilion imagines scooping out plastic from the ocean with a giant dream catcher

GBO's pavilion imagines scooping out plastic from the ocean with a giant dream catcher
GBO's pavilion imagines scooping out plastic from the ocean with a giant dream catcher

plastic soup map

GBO's pavilion imagines scooping out plastic from the ocean with a giant dream catcher

GBO's pavilion imagines scooping out plastic from the ocean with a giant dream catcher

 

 

project info:

 

design: GBO

project name: plastic catcher

project leader: woo kwang jin

team: seo jae gyun, noh chang hwan, yang won jae

 

 

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

 

edited by: cristina gomez | designboom