Art challenge promotes product upcycling

One of the world’s most recognised and awarded environmental artists has participated in a sustainable arts project that used recycled coffee capsules as the core medium.

 

Entitled “Project Upcycle”, the Nespresso initiative challenged six leading Australian sustainable artists and designers to create an original artwork made from entirely recyclable materials, including the company’s trademark aluminium coffee capsules.

 

Charles Darwin University postgraduate student and visual arts lecturer John Dahlsen said his free-standing work, entitled “Ecollaboration”, referenced elements of the Australian landscape, and was constructed from glass, steel, gold and aluminium coffee capsules.

 

“I have been supporting environmental initiatives through my work as an artist for more than 25 years,” Mr Dahlsen said.

 

“I’m keen to support companies that encourage their customers to use their products in a sustainable way, and in doing so, show other companies how it can be done.”

 

Mr Dahlsen is well known for his artistic creations made from found materials such as plastics and metals. He won the Wynne Prize at the Art Gallery of NSW and represented Australia with his art at the Athens Olympics. He has worked with various environmental initiatives, including Clean Up Australia and World Environment Day.

 

Project Upcycle will be unveiled at the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia in Sydney on Thursday 25 July.

 

After Mr Dahlsen’s work has been exhibited, he will donate it to be auctioned at the Sydney Institute of Marine Science’s Emerald Dinner in late October, with proceeds supporting the institute’s research projects.