Semiotics of the Waterways
2024/2025
Full HD.
2min 59sec.
This project is based on Timothy Morton’s Dark Ecology, which emphasizes the deep connection between humans and nature and rejects the dualistic idea that they are separate. It positions waste not only as a simple environmental issue but also as a symbol of the relationship between human actions and their impact on the environment.
Inspired by Martha Rosler’s Semiotics of the Kitchen, the project explores how ordinary actions and objects can be used to critique social issues. Rosler demonstrates how everyday tools can reveal hidden power structures. Similarly, this project critiques the act of cleaning a plastic bag as a metaphor for humanity’s efforts to restore nature, while ironically generating further pollution in the process.
Visual expression is a key element of this project. A transparent glass tank is used to display the cleaning process in detail, making both the effort and its limitations visible. The plastic bag, retrieved from a polluted river, connects the project to real environmental problems while also serving as a powerful symbol. Together, these elements encourage reflection on the cyclical nature of pollution and the complex relationship between humans and nature.
In conclusion, the project critically examines anthropocentric approaches to environmental issues and the exploitation of ecosystems. Furthermore, it invites reflection through the lens of ecological colonialism, highlighting how humanity’s attempts to control and restore nature can, in fact, treat nature as a colonized entity.
Royal College of Art
School of Architecture
Media Study 16