Artist's Underwater Crochet 'Cozy' in Cancun May Have Killed Marine Life Emily Thomas - The Huffington Post
go to original August 25, 2014

Olek Time Bomb (olek)

A recent work by Polish crotchet mastermind Olek is stirring the waters off the coast of Mexico.

Last week, Olek, whose real name is Agata Oleksiak, slipped a colorful, fitted cozy over a large, bomb-shaped sculpture at the Isla Mujeres’ underwater museum, Museo Subacuatico de Arte, off the coast of Cancun, to spread the message that the oceanic ecosystem there is a ticking time bomb. According to contemporary art magazine Hi Fructose, Olek's piece “used safe, biodegradable materials and colors that mimic the reds, yellows and browns of the coral reef.”

But now the museum is threatening to sue Olek, claiming she never asked for permission to place the crocheted piece over the sculpture and that her work may have damaged marine life.

...Despite the threat of a lawsuit, Olek continues to raise awareness about endangered marine life through her new partnership with oceanic conservation organization PangeaSeed.

Read the rest at The Huffington Post

From Olek's post on Vimeo:

In this latest journey, I focused on making a powerful statement on my own. I knew about Jason DeCaires Taylor’s underwater sculptures, and I had been thinking about them for a couple of years. I also knew, I needed to wait for the right moment to do something with his work and make a statement. I dove in a few locations where the sculptures were located, in search of a piece that had no coral growth on it, and that’s when I found the piece he titled “Time Bomb.” I thought it was both surprising that there had been no coral growing on it, but that it was serendipitously the perfect sculpture to illustrate my own statement, which was essentially to reiterate Taylor's message through my work: “The state of our oceans is a ticking time bomb and we need to act now if we wish to save our seas.”

After tireless days, of diving, crocheting underwater with natural fibers and fighting the currents to get this done, I succeeded in transforming Taylor’s “Time Bomb.”

I don’t expect everyone to be a vegetarian, but I do expect people to support a conscious way of living. For example, we can start by stopping the consumption of plastic water bottles—use a reusable water bottle; I’ve been doing it in an attempt to make a small difference. During the opening of Jeff Koons’ retrospective at the Whitney Museum, I had my water bottle in tow, and I remember going to the bar to get it refilled and surprised the bartenders. They understood and supported why I was doing it, instead of wasting yet another plastic cup.

If you eat fish, ask where the fish is coming from and how it was caught. There are many destructive fishing practices like long-lining, bottom-trawling, cyanide and dynamite fishing that take place and people remain unaware of it. Asking about the source and fishing method of your fish is a small step, but one that forces us to change the way we currently obtain our seafood. Remember, we have bigger fish to save.

Because of the nature of my work, there is often a divided reaction to it. Some people love it and understand, and others, not so much. The goal however, regardless of whether people appreciate it or not, is to ignite thought in those who engage with it. And with that, to encourage people to act on their own and make a difference toward a more sustainable future.

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