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Shelf Life
2005
Chair: 152 x 135 x 88 cm;
Ottoman: 34 x 78 x 78 cm;
Deer-head print: 300 x 210 cm
Shredded packaging waste, toothpaste tubes







Ann Wizer

Ann Wizer was born in 1952, in Seattle, Washington, USA. She studied at California College of Arts and Crafts, BFA Oakland, California, USA (1972 – 1976). In 1983, she earned her master's degree in Fine Arts, from the Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore, Md. USA. Wizer now lives and works in Jakarta and has held many solo exhibitions, among others: "SOAPOPERA" at Cemeti Art House, Yogyakarta, Indonesia (2005); "XSProject", React Center, Jakarta (2004); "Empty Legacy"—works made from trash at the Lontar Gallery, Jakarta (2002); "Virus Project" at Jakarta Art Institute, Indonesia (2001); and "Gender Studies" at The Drawing Room, Manila, Philippines (1999).

Ann Wizer's work in Jakarta over the last five years has
been dealing directly with damaged environments. Using garbage collected by Jakarta's trash pickers, the packaging waste is from hundreds of everyday products dozens of companies, both local and international.

Thousands of tons of waste are generated each year as the environment continues to suffer increased damage. Although we are numbed and resigned to the presence of trash in our huge Asian mega cities, we must ask how it goes there and who is going to get rid of it? With a government without enough funds to do the cleanup, and with manufacturing without controls, whose responsibility is it to clean it up?

The subject of Wizer's work has deepened in complexity from the obvious environmental and poverty issues that are always directly interconnected to issues addressing the blatant corporate negligence and abuse. Each bit of trash carries a trademark and we easily see that the products were sold, the profits taken, and the leftover waste is scattered for the poor to live with.

Wizer's art practice includes projects and efforts that continually ask for corporate participations in environmental clean-up projects and livelihood programs that produce new products from trash. At this point her invitations are routinely ignored. It seems that no one is caring for the environment. (Artist's Statement)

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