The Plastikos exhibition by Pilar Boullosa (born in Vigo, 1987) is currently being held at the Agüita Arte Contemporáneo gallery (located at Santa Rosalía, 46, Santa Cruz de Tenerife) from August 25th to September 15th. This exhibition is part of the parallel activities program of the Roll Festival 2023. The festival’s main event will take place on September 2nd in Punta del Hidalgo in La Laguna, expanding its offering to include extreme sports visuals. The Roll Festival is sponsored by Tourism of the Canary Islands, the Canary Islands Institute of Cultural Development, and the Autonomous Organism of Sports of La Laguna.
Pilar Boullosa’s artistic focus revolves around nature, which she defines as the harmonious interplay between all living beings and inanimate matter. She particularly examines the human species and its intricate relationship with the environment, marked by societal aspects and resource demands. This interaction leads to a continuous transformation of the Earth, disrupting its delicate equilibrium and steering it toward an uncertain future. Boullosa’s aim is to represent humanity’s achievements and failures as a collective entity within the context of globalization and its varying levels of social and ecological responsibility.
The ‘Plastikos’ exhibition in Tenerife: raising awareness
Aiming to raise awareness, Boullosa’s Plastikos exhibition addresses the pressing issue of synthetic material in the oceans. This material’s impact is significant due to its non-biodegradable nature—it breaks down into smaller particles, eventually being absorbed or ingested by various organisms, even making its way into the human food chain. Plastic, hailed as a remarkable invention of the past century, has ironically become ingrained within human beings. Should our species disappear, plastic would remain one of our enduring legacies on Earth.
Drawing from her personal experiences as a resident of Gran Canaria, Boullosa states, “I wanted to utilize them, along with larger plastics, as the foundation for my work. On one hand, I feel a social responsibility to participate in beach clean-ups, and on the other, I aim to grant a second life to these collected materials through art. My intention is to discover beauty within the horrors and to foster awareness among viewers.”
Agüita Arte Contemporáneo is a burgeoning initiative dedicated to promoting and disseminating visual artists. Its founders, Gabriel Tondreau, a Chilean visual artist, and Karla Erauzkin, a Basque audiovisual and cultural producer, have a primary goal of democratizing art. Their mission involves fostering greater cultural cooperation in the Canary Islands, contributing to the creation of social cohesion, citizen networks, and broader collaborative systems.
