Text description provided by the architects
The Reflection art installation is located in Shenzhen, wrapped from discarded fishing nets into a landscape that floats between sea and sky, through which people can walk. Created as part of the World Wide Fund for Nature World Oceans Day programme in collaboration with local fisheries, Reflection aims to raise awareness of the recycling of local fishing waste. Today, discarding a fishing net costs far less than recycling it, yet this common practice has a huge impact on the world's seabed ecosystems; WWF is trying to involve local fisheries in finding solutions. The installation is on show for three weeks at the Sea World Culture and Arts Centre in Shenzhen Bay, after which it will tour cities across China. The Our Ocean, Our Life and Livelihoods exhibition is divided into seven parts: the Inside and Outside the Net art installation, the Fishing Joy Dream harbour, the TME audio-visual station, the Fresh Responsibility fish market, the Fishermen After the Net fishermen's story exhibition, the Year after Year fish treasure guide, and the Ocean Protection Blue Team curiosity call. Here, visitors can check in at an interactive installation made from recycled fishing nets, learn about sustainable seafood, and listen to singers perform melodies for the ocean. The concept comes from the net as a metaphor for emotional connection, establishing a link between the ocean and people. The project is a temporary public art installation that turns a serious marine pollution problem into an immersive walk-through experience. It is a demonstration of how recycled fishing gear can be used as a sculptural material, producing a translucent, glowing net that visitors can enter. The work is intended to spark conversation about ghost gear and sustainable fishing, using the beauty of the installation itself to draw attention to an ecological crisis.