What Lies Below Our Misdeeds
Surabaya, Indonesia
2019, Junior, Art
Reflection
In the illustration, a single polar bear statue lies in the bottom of a cold and dreaded sea, with almost no wildlife to be found. Years prior, when ice was scarce and melting faster than ever thanks to global warming, the surviving human civilization decided to build a life-size statue of one of the most iconic animals that had trod on the icy lands: a polar bear. This statue was built on one of the last small icy islands of the poles to symbolize one promise: A promise to change their behaviour and treatment of the world. This promise, however, was never fulfilled. Many years later, all the ice had melted, leading the polar bear statue to sink to the bottom of the sea. The remaining humans who had noticed its disappearance decided to try to find it, only to recover a horrifying truth. They found the statue only a few meters from where it once stood, buried in the sand. It was surrounded with dying kelp, a horrible stench, and a gruesome atmosphere, as the bright blue sea that had once been filled with lively fish and exotic creatures was no longer recognizable. All that were left were a few life forms who, unlike humans, were prepared for the disaster that was going to be unveiled.