The End of the Holocene?

For approximately the last 11,700 years, humans have lived in the Holocene. The Holocene is a geological epoch that began after the Paleolithic Ice Age and marks the dawn of human civilization. Although, many geologists have recently argued that the current epoch is no longer suitable, since it does not include the human activity aspect and how it has affected the Earth’s climate. These geologists claim that the term, “Anthropocene”, should be the new epoch’s name. According to Joseph Stromberg from Smithsonian Magazine, these geologists “argue for “Anthropocene”—from anthropo, for “man,” and cene, for “new”—because human-kind has caused mass extinctions of plant and animal species, polluted the oceans and altered the atmosphere, among other lasting impacts.” Human activities, such as technological advancement, global capitalism, and nuclear power are a few causes of environmental destruction. Failure to recognize human’s contribution to global warming and other environmental problems, may lead to irreversible damage that could possibly end human existence. 

The Beginning of the Anthropocene

Those who believe there is a new epoch among us, continue to debate on when the Anthropocene began. Some have claimed that the Industrial Revolution is a possible starting point, while others believe it began sometime around World War II because of the use of the atomic bomb. Typically, geologists look for evidence in rock layers within the Earth’s surface (Owen).  The debate has been going on for a little over a decade. Until scientists discover a sufficient amount of evidence in the rock layers, the epoch will continue to keep its official name, the Holocene. 

After researching the Anthropocene, I have come up with my own definition and how this particular topic can be expressed through art. I believe Anthropocene art depicts the destruction of nature and human suffering, which arises when Western countries economically benefit from developing nations’ resources and native people. In addition, Anthropocene art should cause the audience to feel uncomfortable with their surroundings, which drives people to reevaluate their living conditions and consider how they may contribute to environmental and social injustice. Ultimately, it is difficult for one to force someone to make a change, however, I believe art has the power to emotionally move people in a moment of time. If the message is powerful enough, the feelings the individuals experienced should not be forgotten and will persuade them to take action. 

Introducing Surasi Kusolwong

Surasi Kusolwong is an installation artist who was born in Ayutthaya, Thailand in 1965. He attended the Silpakorn University, which is where he received his BFA (Bachelor in Fine Arts). After college, he went over to Germany to earn his MFA (Masters in Fine Arts) from a university known as, Hochshule für Bildender Künst, which is located in Braunshweig, Germany.  Not only did he temporarily move to Germany for art, but to also immerse himself in another culture. He had never lived anywhere other than Thailand and hoped to gain insight on the country’s cultural values. When he moved to Bangkok, Thailand, he focused on creating performance-based work and later received the Silpathorn Award in 2014 (Esche, 91). The Silpathorn Award is given to artists who have demonstrated their talent in visual arts and advocated for social injustice. Specifically, Surasi focuses on the clothing industry. He uses this topic because it serves as a convergence between global capitalism, consumerism, materialism, and human rights issues. He addresses these issues and how they have negatively impacted the environment.

Kusolwong’s The Golden Ghost and One Pound Turbo Market were inspired by the market crash in 2008. At the time, Surasi was living in Germany (McLean-Ferris). He saw on television how distressed people were about the turn of events. The housing market fell, people lost their jobs, and poverty increased. Surasi witnessed how frantic people became over money and thought their reaction should be the same when they are confronted by environmental and social injustice. He addresses the issue of sweatshops in developing nations through his pieces, The Golden Ghost and One Turbo Market, which have both been on display in the United States, Germany, England, and Japan.

His artwork has been displayed in exhibitions all over the world. Some of the most famous museums are MoMA in New York City, Museum of Contemporary Art in Tokyo, Japan, Hayward Gallery in London, England, Institute of Visual Arts (INOVA) in Milwaukee, WI, and Samsung Museum of Modern Art in Seoul, Korea (Ha, 555). Surasi chooses to use materials that invite his audience to be interactive. He believes one should do more than just stare at a piece of art. Rather, he believes that interacting with art allows the person to fully experience the artwork and remember that particular moment later on in life. His most recent project was on display in 2011 at MoMA in New York City. The name of this project was The Golden Ghost. 

The Golden Ghost (2011)

In Surasi's piece, The Golden Ghost, he fills museum rooms with piles of yarn and industrial thread that come from all over the world. His most recent appearance was in MoMA, which is located in New York City.  Surasi did not specifically count how much yarn and thread he used, but mainly focused on making the room a mess. Underneath these piles of yarn and thread, lie three gold necklaces that Surasi purchased. The necklaces symbolism greed. He invites his audience to search the room for the necklaces. If they are lucky, they get to keep it. The reason he allows his audience to search for the gold is because he hopes they will stop and examine their behavior in the final element of his piece, a mirror. The mirror reads the message, "Golden Ghost. The future belongs to ghosts." He hopes people will catch themselves in the greedy act and become aware of their surroundings.

The goal is make people feel uncomfortable. Most people who would walk into a room set up like this, may be overwhelmed and may be hesitant to walk through the mess. Surasi hopes that the unsettling feeling creates a spark that makes people realize that they are in a room that resembles a junk yard and are surrounded by material that usually goes to waste. He even attempts to move people, in such a way, that drives them to wonder where the yarn and thread come from, as well as its main use. Surasi addresses the clothing industry in this piece. Specifically, he wants to bring attention to the overproduction of clothes and the harmful working conditions sweatshop workers face. He's a strong advocate for human rights and believes everyone should have the opportunity to earn a fair living wage. 

One Pound Turbo (2010)

In 2010, Surasi displayed his piece, One Pound Turbo Market, in the Tate Modern Museum located in London, England. Kusolwong recreates one of Bangkok's Thai markets. This piece involves various products that Surasi believes are cheap and overproduced. He incorporates 25 umbrellas, 43 t-shirts, 20 pairs of flip flops, 32 stuffed animals, and 50 tinker toys for children (Esche, 92).The tables show off the flipflops and small toys. On the other hand, the umbrellas, clothes, and stuffed animals hang on wires near the ceiling. Surasi brought all of these items over from Bangkok, Thailand to point out that these items were produced in sweatshops. One may notice that this piece is not as overwhelming as The Golden Ghost, since people can easily walk through it. Although, the amount of products and the material they are made out of are supposed to grab the audience's attention. Most items are made of cheap plastic or thread. Again, Surasi points out that our society has a tendency to produce too many items that end up going to waste. He claims that people will use these items for a while, but eventually they end up in other places. Some places may be junk yards, the ocean, or landfills. 

Surasi goes as far as to say that consumerism controls us. He believes that people feel as though they constantly need to buy more or have the newest item. Our society has become so greedy that people do not stop to think about what they truly need. These items are not necessities. In his eyes, all of these items are a waste of space. Surasi's piece reveals how society allowed greed to dominant nature. The factories, companies, and governments have allowed overproduction to occur in the world. He argues that people prioritize business, rather than the air and water pollution that our world faces. 

Not only does Surasi want people to be concerned with who creates these products, but also how they are made. These items derive from large factories in Bangkok, Thailand. Factories release toxic chemicals in the air that can have a lasting effect on one's health. This puts not only the worker at risk, but also those who live near the factories (Chakrabarty, 29). In addition, the tinker toys could end up in a child's mouth and cause illnesses, since the toys are covered in lead paint. Surasi brings both environmental and social injustice into view with this piece. He believes that people must respect one another so that humanity can learn to also respect nature. 

The Emotional Machine (2002)

Surasi's piece, The Emotional Machine, draws the the audience into a comfortable, blue Volkswagen Beetle. The installation allows the audience to watch others consume themselves with technology and forget about the outside world. Surasi uses metal wires to position the car upside down. Inside the car is a mattress, blanket, television, and pillows. On the outside, there are plants and a lemon tree that surrounds the car. Surasi attempts to create a contrast between a comfortable environment versus an uncomfortable environment. The environment is uncomfortable because of the position of the car and the plants that surround it. At the same time, he tries to make the car cozy by including blankets, a television, and pillows. Surasi even invites his audience to take their shoes off to maximize comfort. Essentially, Surasi wants others to point out others' behaviors. He wants the viewers to call out the person in the car if they are in there for a long time. By calling the person out, that person is then aware of their surroundings. They may realize that they had lost track of time in there. Some may even say they were in their own little bubble.

Where did Surasi find this car? He found the car at a junkyard where abandoned automobiles have been dumped. He then retouched the paint on his own time. The junk yard reveals how consumerism has gotten out of hand. Cars are abandoned by their owners and may end up in junk yards where they rust and take up space. Their owners may have grown tired of the car and perhaps wanted the newer model. Again, this reflects the idea that humanity craves the newest item. The television he includes also serves as an example of consumerism. Similarly to a car, a television is overproduced and people typically replace the item fairly quickly. Usually, when the next high-tech television comes out in stores. 

The plants outside of the car signify nature. People, however, tend to forget about the plants because they are drawn to the car. Surasi's installation is a metaphor. He suggests humans tend to close themselves off from the environment and become stuck in a "bubble" of denial. They do not give environmental problems much attention. He suggests that society has become too comfortable with technology that they forgot about the rising sea levels, wildfires, global warming, deforestation, and mass extinction. Through the contrasting environment within his installation, Surasi hopes his audience reflects on their surroundings and how they are connecting. He also hopes they evaluate their behaviors within the stimulation. Essentially, Surasi's creates a unique piece made out of unusual materials because he wants to capture the audience's eyes and other senses. In addition, his strange display calls for reflection, which may occur after the experience. When reflection occurs after the experience, it has the ability to stick with the person for a longer period of time. 

Surasi's Anthropocene Connection 

Surasi Kusolwong’s work addresses both environmental and social injustice. He creates artwork that makes people feel uncomfortable with their surroundings and question their actions. In The Golden Ghost, Surasi sets up a mirror so people can see themselves enclosed in a room filled with piles of industrial thread. He wants the audience to catch themselves in the mirror while they are searching for the gold necklaces because he hopes they will stop and realize how they have let greed get the best of them. In this piece, Surasi points out that a lot of products and clothing end up going to waste. Surasi states, “I call my tons of threadwaste floor the meltdown landscape because economically we produce a lot of junk and we have to look at that carefully and ask why we produce so much.” He addresses the issue of overproduction and how these items may end up in landfills, which contribute to pollution. One Pound Turbo Market also addresses the overconsumption problem because he includes cheap products that have been made in factories by underpaid workers. Surasi states, “In social situations there are always divisions of labor—of working for money, for something else other than money, or doing nothing. Some people have to work hard but get little money.”

He argues that people allow material goods to consume our lives and constantly want more. His other artwork,The Emotional Machine, does not address the clothing industry. Rather, it focuses on society’s obsession with technology. The car includes a mattress and television so people feel comfortable, but the position of the car and the plants outside of it try to take that comfort away. The plants are there to remind them that there is life beyond the car. Surasi wants people to step away from technology and focus on the environmental destruction that is occurring in our world. Art may not have the ability to force people to make a change, but it does have the ability to emotionally move people in such a way that they are driven to reevaluate their living conditions. 

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