Feb 28, 2018 | By Tess
Klean, a Dutch organization dedicated to reducing and reusing plastic pollution, is recreating one of the most iconic female figures in art history, the Madonna, using plastic waste and 3D printers.
The project, which has been underway since 2016, is aiming to make a point about plastic pollution, and especially garbage that ends up in our oceans.
As part of the same initiative, Klean already showcased a massive Plastic Madonna in June 2016 on the beaches of Rio de Janeiro to mark World Oceans Day. A smaller, 3D printed version of the sculpture was presented at the same time in Amsterdam.
To draw even more attention towards the plastic waste phenomenon, Klean is now in the process of 3D printing a giant version of the Madonna sculpture. It says the virgin mother is being 3D printed entirely from recycled plastic bottles, which have been donated by people all over the Netherlands.
The idea behind the massive 3D printed Madonna sculpture is to captivate the interest of people who might not normally care to learn about how plastic pollution is affecting our planet and our oceans.
As the Klean website says: upon seeing the huge plastic figure, people will undoubtedly ask “why?”
So far, the organization has already 3D printed certain elements of the Plastic Madonna statue, including her feet. When the structure is complete, Klean plans to tour it around the Netherlands and host events which can help educate people about plastic waste and the globe’s pollution problem.
By having people donate plastic bottles for the project, Klean is demonstrating the impact that throwing away even one plastic bottle can have. Through its collection effort in the Netherlands, it has received 100,000 plastic bottles, which it will transform into 3D printable plastic.
Posted in 3D Printing Application
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