from waste to art

While reading up about food wastage, I came across this project "One Third" by fine art photographer Klaus Pichler. I thought it was kind of interesting? The pictures were really beautiful.. albeit odd and strange-looking, but it leaves us thinking about what happens to all the food that we waste - dumped and rotting in the bins, yet we are oblivious to it. I think the fact that Pichler took the effort to use the bathroom of his studio apartment (just to improve his credibility!) for this project was really commendable. I mean, imagine looking at rotting food for 9 months, and worse still, the smells!?!!

Some details about this project: it was titled "One Third" because one third of the world's food goes to waste. It portrays the relationship between individual wastage of food and globalized food production. In addition, he inserts his own gathered data of the food's history such as it's carbon and water footprint as the photo caption.

Sort: Strawberries 'Elsanta' * Place of production: San Giovanni Lupatoto, Verona, Italy

Cultivation method: Foil green house * Time of harvest: June - October

Transporting distance: 741 km * Means of transportation: Truck

Carbon footprint (total) per kg: 0,35 kg * Water requirement (total) per kg: 348 l

Price: 7,96 € / kg

Sort: Chicken * Place of production: Behamberg, Austria

Production method: Farm * Time of production: All- season

Transporting distance: 183 km * Means of transportation: Truck

Carbon footprint (total) per kg: 3,54 kg * Water requirement (total) per kg: 1551 l

Price: 3,69 € / kg 

Sort: Whole meal bread * Place of production: Vienna, Austria

Production method: Factory production * Time of production: All- season

Transporting distance: around 120 km (cereals) * Means of transportation: Truck

Carbon footprint (total) per kg: 0,79 kg * Water requirement (total) per kg: 1608 l

Price: 3,55 € / kg

Sort: ALMO - Beef Place of production: Fladnitz an der Teichalm, Austria

Production method: Animal Farm * Time of production: All- season

Transporting distance: 124 km * Means of transportation: Truck

Carbon footprint (total) per kg: 13,33 kg * Water requirement (total) per kg: 5640 l

Price: 15,99 € / kg

You can view the rest of his work here. GO GO GO. It's quite fascinating!

References:
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC. (2014) Visualizing waste: Klaus Pichler's gorgeous rotting food. [Online] July 2014. Available from: http://proof.nationalgeographic.com/2014/07/16/visualizing-waste-klaus-pichlers-gorgeous-rotting-food/ [Accessed: 27/8/2015]