KOCHI: Inspiration to create can strike you at any time. For artist couple, Giovanni Allegrini and Sampda Mago, that moment of serendipity came during a casual evening stroll at the Varkala beach. They ended up picking the waste lying on the beach. The impact of man-made waste including plastic on the sea, marine pollution, insensitivity of humankind — it all hit them at that point. This was the birth of their campaign ‘Artseawaste’, which urges people to find beauty in the discarded and turn even waste into art.
Gio and Sampda, also known as Allemagoart, have been travelling across the country and working as full-time artists for a year now. Gio, an Italian and Sampda, a Delhiite met in Himachal Pradesh last December. They clicked, in terms of ideologies and interests, so the duo decided to travel and create together.
“Our art venture ‘Allemagoart’ makes murals of clients who share our vision and values, and taste in digital art, graphic design and traditional art. We spent four months in Himachal, borrowing inspiration from nature and culture, focusing on personal growth. It was after moving to Kerala that we decided to take up the eco-friendly cause,” says Gio and Sampda, who have been in Varkala for three months.
SMALL CHANGES
Every evening, the duo would reminisce about nature, sitting on the Varkala beach. “Unfortunately, a lot of waste would wash up. One evening, while walking on the beach, we ended up picking some of them and made an artwork ‘The Lost Hostels’, at a backpacker hostel in Varkala. When we realised the potential of upcycled art made from ocean waste, we started doing more of it,” he says.
Discarded plastic bottles and containers, shoes, clothes — everything goes through metamorphosis and becomes art. “We mix wall enamel with stainers and add them to different colours before applying it. The waste added on the wall is usually tied or wrapped but is also nailed in some cases. We use fishing nets, fishing wires, parts of boats, tyres, a surfboard, bottles and many shoes,” shares the artists.
Join the causea
You can join Gio and Sampda on their mission to help the oceans. Participate over Facebook or Instagram:- pick up waste (from the beach if possible)- make art with it - use the hashtag #artseawaste & tag at @allemagoart.
The waste materials don’t need to be collected only from the seashore alone. One can make art with single-use plastic available at home, thereby preventing that from eventually ending up in the ocean, say the artists.
Local impact
The duo aims to educate people on the impact tourism-related waste has on local communities as well. They have completed two murals so far using waste collected from Varkala beach — one at The Lost Hostels and another at a restaurant called God’s Own Country Kitchen. The artists have also done two murals in Manali, Himachal Pradesh.