18 • 09 • 2020
It is no Art to Litter
In order to draw public attention to the problem of waste pollution in Latvia’s forests, JSC “Latvia's State Forests” (LVM) together with the Latvian National Museum of Art (LNMA) organize a campaign “It is no Art to Litter” (Piemēslot nav māksla). On 18 September, an unusual environmental object was opened to the public eye – an installation encouraging people to view an artwork of the Latvian landscape painter Rihards Zariņš through a filter of “reality” or pollution.
As part of the campaign, people were invited to take part in the World Cleanup, which took place on 19 September, collecting waste in forests, as well as to develop a habit of going to forest with an empty garbage bag to pick up waste.
“Last year, almost 2 000 cubic metres of waste were removed from forests; and this amount can be compared to about 26 train freight wagons. In order to address the problem of forest cleanliness, it would first be important to introduce a deposit system for PET bottles. Plastic waste accounts for more than a half of all waste. Secondly, nature would become cleaner if waste right away ended up where it is supposed to be. Expenditure on waste removal could be used for the improvement of recreation areas. In this campaign, we call on the public not to litter in nature, to participate in forest clean-up works and to help nature by going to forest and collecting waste also at other times. In order to reach the widest possible audience, we work in cooperation with the LNMA, showing through the prism of art what we have done to forests over the last hundred years,” says Tomass Kotovičs, Head of LVM Communication Unit.
Environmental installation "It is no Art to Litter”
The environmental installation is based on a work in the LNMA collection – painting by Rihards Zariņš “Mūža mežs” (Forest of the Lifetime) (1900–1910), which has been complemented with another layer: a clean, untouched forest landscape with waste in the foreground. The environmental object symbolically depicts the connection between art and nature, showing the negative influence of man and the consequences of these actions.
“Rihards Zariņš is one of the founders of Latvian national art. He has devoted his entire life to the preservation of Latvian cultural and artistic values, thinking about future generations of our nation. Thanks to the initiative of JSC “Latvia's State Forests” to use Rihards Zariņš's work “Ko Latvijas meži šalc” (What Do Latvian Forests Rustle) as a call to take care of nature and the environment, we can once again be ascertained of the artist's ability to influence the future of Latvia. We are so happy that Rihards Zariņš continues to carry his message even today, calling for the cultivation and preservation of not only cultural but also natural values,” says Māra Lāce, Director of the LNMM.
LVM has been managing and taking care of 1.6 million hectares of state forests already for 20 years, giving people in Latvia an opportunity to move around and relax freely in nature. The number of forest visitors has increased significantly this year, therefore environmental issues need to be addressed even more extensively. As compared to 2018, the volume of waste collected last year increased significantly, reaching a new record in the last ten years. Debris is dumped in forests, household waste, including TV sets and refrigerators, as well as tin cans, PET bottles and other waste left by holidaymakers. Such pollution causes dangerous damage to flora and fauna.
