RAREFACTIONS: USING ART TO EXHIBIT HUMAN CONTAMINATION

Abstract

Latin American rivers are suffering due to pollution that originates from urban areas. These rivers are struggling with contaminants such as factory discharge, pesticides, and pollutants. Environmental art has played an important role in creating awareness of such climate change-related consequences. This paper exposes different types of environmental art displays and how scholars have examined audiences’ reactions to these works. These expositions include one of my videos, “Rarefactions”, which shows microorganisms that live in bodies of water in and around urban zones, especially in the Atoyac River, in Mexico. These microorganisms can be found in almost any body of water. Thus, it will resemble the problems we are facing not just in Mexico but also across Latin America. Through environmental art, I can discuss how people can change their perspectives so that there can be better solutions to river pollution.