Art / Street Art
Vibrant street art with environmental message unveiled
A huge mural part of a global environmental campaign to highlight the threat to one of nature’s greatest resources has appeared in Bristol.
Part of the Save Soil movement, the installation is located on Newfoundland Street and is there to raise awareness of the vital role of soil – which campaigners say is “dying”.
It depicts a pair of outstretched hands cupping a handful of the material surrounded by branches and leaves, reading “90% of soil degraded by 2050” – based on UN statistics that also say a third of soil globally is degraded.
The artwork has been painted on a facade on opposite Cabot Circus car park, underneath another huge mural featuring Wallace and Gromit – photo: Betty Woolerton
Save Soil, lead by Conscious Planet, link the degradation of soil to the food crisis, water scarcity, biodiversity loss, conflict and migration and climate chance.
The piece is part of a global exhibition launched to address the ‘soil crisis’ by bringing people together from all around the world. Supporters of the movement from New Zealand to Bulgaria are creating soil-themed artworks as a form of activism.
Save Soil is envisioned by Indian yoga guru and mystic Sadhguru, or Jaggi Vasudev, who began the movement 24 years ago.
As part of his mission to raise awareness and drive policy change around soil, the 64-year-old on Monday embarked on a 100-day motorcycle ride from London to India in an effort to “save soil”.
His mission is to get policy-makers and influencers to sign up for his Save Soil pledge to prioritise soil regeneration.
Main photo: Betty Woolerton
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