Galschiot sets up fat lady by ‘The little Mermaid’
The 3 metres high bronze-sculpture ’Survival of the Fattest’ is set up in the water next to the mermaid. The erection is a part of the art happening SevenMeters.net. By confronting the nice unrealistic mermaid with the double-standard Justitia-figurine of the real world, Galschiot wants to put focus on the hypocrisy in the climate debate.
Until after the climate conference (COP15) the sculpture will be standing in order to confront and go into dialogue with the many tourists and participants of the conference who will be walking by ‘The little Mermaid’ during the period. They will get something to think about.
The sculpture ’Survival of the Fattest’ represents an overweighed Justitia figurine which is sitting on the back of a thin worn-out African man, who stands under water from his hips and down. “The original is set up in Ringkøbing and it is one of the most popular sculptures of West Jutland. Who knows, maybe it will also become so popular in Copenhagen that Denmark will bring it to the world exhibition in China. Pia Kjærsgaard would probably not mind that, and I am glad to lend it,” says Galschiot.
It is a symbol of the double-standard and self-righteousness of the rich world. With her scales in her hand she is sitting on the back of the starving man (the Third World), and at the same time she is pretending to exert justice and do what is best for him.
“I’m sitting on the back of a man. He is sinking under the burden. I would do anything to help him. Except stepping down from his back”. Justitia (western goddess of justice)
The Western World and the Danes are sitting like The little Mermaid on a stone or like the fat lady in a safe distance to the rising water. We are happy and sure, that we have the economy and the resources to prevent the climate changes from striking us. Meanwhile states of islands around the world are getting flushed away, while hurricanes, drought and hunger strike the rest of the world - especially Africa and Asia.
”The climate changes are caused by the great consumption of resources in the Western World. The climate changes can only be stopped if the Western World starts massive investments in energy free of CO2 and sustainable production. In spite of this fact we will not change our way of living and really make a difference. On the contrary, all the governments of the Western World call on their citizens to start a new consumption orgy in order to get out of the financial crisis.
FN envisages 200 millions of climate refugees within the next 40 years. This is going to result in great demographic changes worldwide, so that many societies risk to collapse including civil wars and instability, which will cause even more refugees and thereby more societal problems. This vicious circle can only be avoided by stopping global warming and start massive organizations to help the countries that the climate crisis already strikes,” concludes Galschiot.
Survival of the Fattest is a part of SevenMeters.net. The aim of the initiative is to put focus on the consequences of global warming through various art installations, which will highlight the climate change from different angles:
SevenMeters art events (on display Nov 13 – Dec 19)
- The Pulse of the Earth (at Bella Center Metro Station) is a lighting installation, an artistic interpretation of the Earth as a living organism. The station is lit up in red pulsating LED-light changing slowly from red to neutral following a curve, congruent with the geological ’breath of the Earth’.
- Refugees in Water (at Bella Center Metro Station)is a group of sculptures in human size that are placed in the water ditches under the metro. They, too, are illuminated with the pulsating red light.
- The Messenger (at Bella Center Metro Station) A 4 meters high bronze sculpture depicting ‘a messenger’ with a mythical radiation.
- ‘Freedom to Pollute’ (at Amager Fælled) A 6 meters high replica of the Statue of Liberty emitting smoke from the torch. It is placed on a big hill near Bella Center.
- Wandering Refugees (at Bella Center) are 10 meters high sculptures with copper faces and long African women’s costumes in shrill colors. They are put up on the savannah-like areas to remind us of female refugees in Sudan.
- ‘Balancing Acts’ (At Christiansborg slotsplads and elsewhere) are 10 statues balancing on 7-15 meter poles. They are made in connection with UN’s Decade for Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014) in cooperation with Eco-net.dk.
- The 7 meter line in Copenhagen (this is only between December 6 - 18) is a visualization of a 7 meter rise of the sea level which will be the consequence of all the ice in Greenland melting. A 24 km line of blinking red lights is placed at 7 meters above average sea level all over Copenhagen to get an impression of this potential new water level.
The sculptor Jens Galschiot is the initiator of SevenMeters.net. Galschiot is renowned for plenty of thought-provoking international art manifestations focusing on global issues, see www.aidoh.dk
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