NewsArt & Culture

Two life-size whales swim through an ocean of 70,000 plastic bottles in Bristol

If you happen to be in Bristol this month, then you won't want to miss a major art installation of two life-size whales made from willow, harvested locally in Somerset, and swimming through an 'ocean' of 70,000 plastic bottles, upcycled from the recent Bath half marathon and Bristol 10k.

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A life-size whale made from willow emerges from an illuminated ocean of blue and white plastic bottles at night, with green-lit buildings visible in the background

Designed and built by Cod Steaks, initiated by Artists Project Earth and funded by Arts Council England, 'The Bristol Whales' represents the beauty and fragility of our oceans and the increasing human threats that they face.

Speaking of the project, Cod Steaks said: "Using the correct materials was of paramount importance. We harnessed the natural beauty of willow and sympathetically meshed it with graceful rolling plastic bottle waves, to create a simple yet impactful message. What's more, we have made a pledge that every plastic bottle used in the sculpture will be recycled. This piece of environmental art, rates as one of our greatest achievements, and has attracted interest and praise on a global scale."

Make sure you watch the 'making of' video below, and visit Codsteaks.com to discover more about the project.

Via direct submission | Night time photograph courtesy of Paul Box

Two willow whales illuminated at night, one arching over a wave of glowing recycled plastic bottles, in The Bristol Whales art installation
Two life-size whales made from willow swim through illuminated blue waves constructed from 70,000 recycled plastic bottles at night in Bristol
A large willow whale sculpture arches over visitors beneath a canopy of blue dotted lights, with plastic bottle waves illuminated below in The Bristol Whales installation
Silhouette of a person climbing on the willow whale sculpture against a sky backdrop, with plastic bottles visible in the installation structure
A worker on a ladder weaves willow strands into the body of one of The Bristol Whales, with green foliage visible below
A person in green kneels beside a large sculptural whale made from blue plastic bottles, with another whale visible behind it at the Bristol Whales installation
Two large willow whale sculptures with undulating bodies made from blue plastic bottles create an ocean-like installation, with brown woven whale shapes behind them against a clear sky
Two life-size willow whales dive into an ocean made from 70,000 plastic bottles in an indoor installation with visitors standing nearby for scale
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