Anish Kapoor Teams Up with Greenpeace for Eco-Friendly Art Installation in the North Sea

Distinguished artist Anish Kapoor and Greenpeace have joined forces to create an impactful art installation, named BUTCHERED, situated in the North Sea. This work was developed on the side of an operational offshore gas platform, specifically aimed at oil magnates to highlight the dire repercussions of fossil fuel extraction.

The installation required Greenpeace climbers to ascend a Shell gas platform off the English coast to secure a massive canvas measuring 39 feet by 26 feet. Subsequently, they covered it with a red substance, signifying the blood seeping into the ocean. This visually striking arrangement utilized seawater, beetroot powder, and safe, food-based pond dye to illustrate the destruction wrought by the carbon emissions from the fossil fuel sector. Greenpeace points out heat waves, drought conditions, and wildfires as examples of these environmental repercussions.

Kapoor shared his aim to craft a visual and sensory representation of the environmental harm caused by the fossil fuel sector, stating that BUTCHERED serves as a homage to activists fighting against this devastation.

Greenpeace also took aim at Shell, asserting that despite reaping enormous profits after the invasion of Ukraine, the corporation paid only a minimal amount in taxes in the UK. A recent report identified Shell as a significant player in climate harm, estimating at least $1.42 trillion in environmental damage over a span of 30 years.

Philip Evans from Greenpeace UK highlighted the financial and ecological strain placed on everyday individuals due to the profit-centric practices of the fossil fuel industry. He urged governing bodies to hold corporations like Shell accountable.