London-based Francesca Busca defines herself as an environmental artist. Torn between optimism and surrender, she is haunted by the idea of mankind’s imminent self-destruction. Yet, she believes in a future for the humanity of resourceful innovation through re-thinking, repurposing and reducing. She aims to prove how rubbish is a relative definition and how it can be turned into something useful, fun and even beautiful. This shows particularly in her mosaics, mixed media and installations, which are created entirely from rubbish and ‘found’ material.
Her latest project is A Breath of Fresh Air, a collaboration with London International Gallery of Children’s Art (LIGCA) on a project on air pollution with two schools in London - The Village School (primary) and UCL Academy (secondary) - and the Nirmal Bhartia School in Delhi.“The project is run in collaboration with the Nirmal Bhartia School in New Delhi and the London International Gallery of Children’s Art (LIGCA) in London.
It involves working with both primary and secondary schools on the A Breath of Fresh Air project on air pollution, whereby pupils are asked to express their feelings and views on air pollution through art. In most cases, this also involves inter-disciplinary sessions in science, literature, history and geography,” she says.
The first inter-school art exhibition, Voice of Art, on this theme will be held at the Sanskrit Kendra in New Delhi on 30 November-1 December 2018. Talking more about her role, she says, “My role was to assist the students in the realisation of their artwork, stimulating ideas and curating the exhibitions which will take place in London in March and May 2019.
The artwork produced in London has now been sent to Delhi to join their own, to create a series of exhibitions with comparative views from different hemispheres of the planet, yet so close in their common affliction by the plague of air pollution. In fact, this project aims to raise awareness of this issue both in schools and in society overall.”
Having participated in more than 60 art exhibitions internationally, and received over 30 awards, Busca has recently launched the Payment in Kind(ness) initiative, whereby she accepts eco-friendly gestures (LiThs = “Little Things”) as payment in kind toward her artwork. December 1, fom 9.30 am to 4 pm, at the Sanskriti Kendra, Anandgram, MG Road.The author writes on entertainment and food among other things.
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Francesca Busca aims to prove how rubbish is a relative definition and how it can be turned into something useful, fun and even beautiful. This shows particularly in her mosaics, mixed media and installations.