The Splash & Burn Art Campaign

Splash and Burn An Activist Art Campaign Sumatra 2017

In January 2017, to coincide with the project and provide funding, an extremely limited edition print Splash and Burn from Ernest Zacharevic was released. This release sold out within the hour generating the independent funding necessary to pull off Splash and Burn.

With the launch of the project, immense coverage has been generated world wide and we will bring the story to you here. The activity has been reported in today's Guardian and social media will start to light up with images over the next few weeks so if you are not already doing so, follow @splashandburn on Instagram Artists involved with the project include: Ernest Zacharevic, Strøk, Isaac Cordal, Gabriel Pitcher, Mark Jenkins, Pixel Pancho, Axel Void, and Bibichun.

The Project

Splash and Burn is an awareness campaign responding creatively to unregulated farming practices of Palm Oil in Indonesia. Tackling issues such as the trans-boundary haze, deforestation, human and animal displacement; murals/sculptures and interventions have been appearing throughout cities and the vast natural landscape of Sumatra. The process involves burning the forest which is used to clear patches of land by palm oil producers. These fires produce thick smog and release toxic greenhouse gases into Singapore and parts of Malaysia and Indonesia.

Indonesia is the world’s biggest producer of palm oil and the demand for the commodity has been rising. It is used in a range of common house hold products from biscuits, to shampoos, to cosmetics and biofuels. The surge in demand means that there is need for extra land for palm oil plantations. Palm oil production is concentrated in Indonesia and Malaysia.

The Campaign is collaborating with a number of local and international NGOs including London based charity SOS and Indonesian Based NGO OIC. The project is initiated by Lithuanian artist Ernest Zacharevic, who throughout the last two years has been actively researching the issue, visiting and scouting locations and connecting with experts and specialists in the field.

Since February, artists have been generously donating their time and creativity to the cause, arriving in secret and worked tirelessly to execute the works.

Conflict palm oil is a longstanding controversial issue that receives peak media coverage at the moment of crisis, but is often an afterthought in the months between burning season. And it is an even less covered issue in the westernized countries. With global consumption increasing beyond the need to conserve our impact on our environment and communities, Ernest aims to introduce a new perspective to the conversation on Palm Oil. Using art as a tool, he suggests bridging the gap between the corruption surrounding the industry and the wider consciousness of the global consumer. Through a number of unique art projects, Splash and Burn offers a creative platform for Organisations and NGO's to fight for positive change.

Support the campaign here