Trash Artifacts

“Objects are what matter. Only they carry the evidence that throughout the centuries something really happened among human beings.” (Claude Levì-Strauss)

Throughout the history of human civilization, there has always been a close connection with water. Initially, water served as a basic necessity for life, primarily for drinking. While humans can endure hunger for several days, they may face mortality within a few days without water. This is evidenced by various findings of artifacts from prehistoric times across the globe, depicting that people during that era led nomadic lives and always chose stopping points near rivers or water sources.

As the agricultural revolution began (8000-5000 BC), the nomadic lifestyle shifted to settled farming communities. This revolution marked a significant turning point in human history, enabling them to cultivate plants and animals. The development of agriculture led to the establishment of the first cities in the world. The rise of cities signified the emergence of civilizations. Looking at the world’s historical records, many ancient cities flourished on the banks of bodies of water (lakes and rivers) that could support life. The earliest civilizations appeared in Upper Mesopotamia (3500 BC), followed by the civilization along the Nile River in Egypt (3300 BC) and the Harappan civilization in the Indus Valley (present-day Pakistan). Additionally, civilizations emerged in the Yellow River Valley. Human civilization continued to evolve through religious (ancient times), modern, and contemporary eras.

The emergence of new civilizations marked an increase in the functions of water in human life. From merely serving as a drinking source, it evolved into various other functions such as agriculture, transportation, livestock, bathing, washing, and more. It can be said that human civilization emphasizes that water is the most fundamental source of life.

In the 21st century, despite its multifaceted roles as a life source, water has also caused various issues. Droughts and water crises have occurred in some parts of the world, while others have an abundance of water. Conflicts over water resources also frequently arise. The privatization and commercialization of water resources have become one of the greatest corporate crimes of this century, akin to oil and gold, particularly in developed and developing countries. Water management systems have become a priority, regulated within national legal frameworks and customary practices.”

 

Trash: The Contemporary Artifacts

Borrowing the methods of archeology, I collect items (trash) at places of waters (rivers, lakes, estuary, beaches, etc.) and document them that include the information about behavior and patterns of human life in surrounding area. Trash as artifacts has the capacity to show activities that refers to human life and their existence as objects of useful daily life.

I choose various places (upstream to downstream) that represent the condition and function of the area, and they are:

  1. Jatiluwih water spring in Tabanan

  2. Bedugul Lake, Tabanan

  3. Tegenungan Waterfall, Gianyar

  4. River in Guwang village, Gianyar

  5. River in down town Denpasar 

  6. Estuary & mangrove of Kepiting village, Badung

  7. Kedonganan beach, Badung

  8. Padang Galak beach, Denpasar

Photography is a way to view, to depict a piece of history in the past and present, not only when the photos were taken, but also when they are seen at different time. Through trash findings, I invite everyone to imagine and reconstruct the events that already had and are happening in the areas where the trash collected. We can read the behavior of the people and speculate about the problems of waste (and water) occurred. Each and every object in the photos has a close link with the events and conditions of the region. Three major things—at the least—that we can frame: water, trash, and human behavior. Furthermore, those three things are developed into wide range of issues from the past, present, and future. Pictures of trash artifacts are then become visual archives, as a document that could be studied collectively to find the story behind the objects.

 

Have a great time reading the artifacts!  


*Note: Plastic waste has become a common enemy everywhere, including in Bali. The data from Environmental Agency of Bali stated that there are, on average, 4,695 m3 of wastes daily. Other data stated up to 6,000 m3. From those numbers, plastic waste takes up about 516.45 m3 per day, or 11% of total amount.