Since 2017, Splash and Burn has brought together artists, activists, and local communities around a common goal: to raise awareness of the devastating impact of deforestation in Southeast Asia, particularly in Indonesia, with the aim of promoting a more sustainable future.
Splash and Burn: a collaborative art project
Splash and Burn is a project led by British artist Ernest Zacharevic. He uses art as a powerful tool to denounce the ravages of the palm oil industry. Through his work, the artist proposes concrete solutions to restore ecosystems.
Art at the heart of environmental action
Splash and Burn is a play on words based on the expression "slash-and-burn." This expression refers to an agricultural practice that involves clearing land by burning it. The name of the project subverts this destructive image to convey a message of hope.
Through giant artistic murals, monumental sculptures, and site-specific installations, the project draws attention to the consequences of intensive land use and the irreversible loss of biodiversity.
The works, often created in symbolic locations such as abandoned plantations or degraded landscapes, become visual manifestos. They transform ravaged spaces into living canvases where art and nature engage in dialogue.
The iconic works of Splash and Burn
Ernest Zacharevic
First up is Ernest Zacharevic, a Lithuanian artist who integrates culture and community into public art projects. Ernest's main interest is the relationship between art and the urban landscape.
Ernest has produced a series of interventions for the Splash and Burn project. These include a simple commentary on the local community and its relationship with nature, the decline in wildlife populations, and, more recently, the loss of forests through his SOS land art intervention.
“We know so little about palm oil, yet we are so heavily involved economically. That’s really how my work became focused on the cause”– Ernest Zacharevic
Alexandre Farto aka VHILS
Next is Alexandre Farto, aka VHILS, a Portuguese artist who explores the relationship between humanity and nature. His work also denounces the consequences of the quest for modern comfort. Inspired by the Tapanuli orangutan, a recently discovered species already threatened with extinction due to a dam project, his work questions how far we are willing to go at the expense of the environment.
“It’s about raising awareness among activists and artists about the tensions that globalization creates. That said, I personally think it’s like a new Pandora’s box; it’s hard to stop. The only thing we can really do now is to act on the dark side of globalization, which is really why we’re here doing Splash and Burn.” – VHILS
Mark Jenkins – “Forest Figures”
Finally, Mark Jenkins, an American artist known for his realistic human sculptures. He has hidden his sculptures in degraded landscapes. These works highlight the direct impact of deforestation on local populations who are losing their livelihoods.
“We now live in a culture where people are so absorbed in their cell phones and things like that that they don't really pay attention to their surroundings. It takes something almost surreal, or something that looks like a dead body, for people to stop and take notice.” – Mark Jenkins
Mark Jenkins
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