This installation highlights the critical issue of marine life degradation caused by pollution, overfishing, and industrial exploitation. At the heart of the piece is a life-sized sturgeon fish sculpted entirely from welded bolts and nuts, symbolizing the industrial impact on marine ecosystems. The sturgeon serves as a powerful reminder of its decline in the Caspian Sea due to overfishing for caviar, known as “black gold,” and the rampant pollution of its habitat.
This piece was inspired by a personal childhood memory of witnessing fishermen extract caviar from sturgeons, discarding the still-living fish back into the river with open stomachs. Once abundant, sturgeons are now endangered, their numbers decimated by industrial fishing practices and pollution.
To emphasize the connection between industry and environmental destruction, the sculpture incorporates an oil pump and hoses that circulate used oil through the sturgeon’s fins, a visceral representation of pollution coursing through marine life. The sculpture is mounted on a barrel pedestal filled with used oil, reinforcing the toxic relationship between industry and nature.
This piece invites viewers to reflect on the fragility of marine ecosystems and humanity’s complicity in their decline. By using discarded industrial materials—bolts, nuts, and oil—the work evokes both destruction and the potential for transformation, allowing the audience to interpret the narrative through their unique perspectives.
