Quebec artist Alex Côté highlights the duality between the illusion of plastic beauty and pollution.
A huge, one-of-a-kind jellyfish is appearing at the Aquarium du Québec. Composed from waste and plastic materials removed from the St. Lawrence, the artwork Plastic. Medusa, signed by artist Alex Côté, is glaringly true. More than 1,500 young people were made aware of the issues related to the pollution of our waterways, on the sidelines of the À la Rencontre du Fleuve project .
Nearly 2,000 polluting debris and plastic waste, listed by the artist according to their uniqueness and origin, are found in the tentacles of this majestic jellyfish suspended in the Fresh and Salt Water Pavilion at the Aquarium du Québec.
The debris was collected during clean-up chores along the banks and in the St. Lawrence River, as well as in the lakes, rivers and archipelagos of several regions of Quebec. It is the organization Waterlution which is in charge of the project, helped by many partners, including Organization Bleue.
With his work inspired by the lion’s mane jellyfish, artist Alex Côté highlights the duality between the illusion of plastic beauty and pollution. The work bears witness to the presence of suffocating plastic and waste of human origin, the absurdity and alarming quantity of which we realize.
Raising awareness among young people
Launched in 2021, the mission of the Meet the River project is to raise awareness among elementary and secondary school students about the protection of the St. Lawrence River, the Atlantic Ocean and the Great Lakes and the ecological issues that threaten them.
Since September, multidisciplinary workshops have been offered free of charge to participating schools. More theoretical learning is combined with a creative approach.
To mark the inauguration of this larger-than-life work, artist Alex Côté will be on-site at the Aquarium du Québec on Wednesday, March 2 .
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