Don’t Let It Hang Over Your Head!

This collection of chandeliers are designed from a mix of secondhand and new plastic objects, including plastic bowls, beads, bracelets, hula hoops, and decorations, all held together by PVC chain. By constructing these chandeliers out of plastic materials, a link is drawn between wealth and excess, and the cost of convenience and waste.

While plastic has undoubtedly benefited us in many ways, such as in the field of medicine, its ties to corporate interests, the usage of fossil fuels, and its detrimental environmental impacts cannot be overstated. Multinational corporations like ExxonMobil or Coca-Cola are fully aware that climate change has become a critical public relations issue. To protect their image, they invest millions in shiney recycling programs designed to convince consumers that they are taking meaningful action, yet continue to overproduce these harmful products. Currently, only 9% of worldwide plastic is recycled and production is expected to triple by 2060.

Profit-driven production comes at a great cost to the environment, and is a threat to wildlife and human health. It’s only getting worse, however these problems are complex because we have become so dependent on plastic in our everyday lives. This work raises essential questions about how we can break free from a system that celebrates consumption. How do we stop glorifying a way of life that has made each day “easier,” yet has such detrimental effects? How do we enact change in a system that we, the consumer, do not directly control? Is hypercapitalism truly serving us, or can we imagine something better?

This installation is not only a critique of our consumer-driven world but also a vision for transformation and innovation. The chandelier is a symbol of wealth and luxury, but also community and shared experiences.  They have been assembled to offer hope of a reimagined future where we can come together to reshape the systems that divide us.

Katie Mazi (she/her) is a Niagara-based artist who graduated from Brock University in 2016 with a Bachelor in Visual Arts and minor in Sociology. Since graduating, she has been an active artist and arts supporter within the Niagara Region. Katie has curated group exhibitions, organized art events and collaborative projects, is a former NAC Board member and produces + exhibits solo work.

In her solo work, Katie creates material driven installations often using collections of secondhand objects. Katie believes that much of what we need already exists; her work brings new meaning to discarded goods. Some examples of Katie’s installation work include vibrant towers of metal ironing-boards, displays of pastel ceramic vases and most recently, highly saturated chandeliers built of plastic. Common themes that link her work are consumption, sustainability, repetition, tourism, community and play.