BY DOUGLAS VAHIA
Rising from the sea around Isabel Province, a new sculpture by British artist, Jason deCaires Taylor, was installed last week.
Former Prime Minister, Jeremiah Manele, whose constituency is in Isabel, and British High Commissioner, HE Paul Turner, attended the opening event, a statement by the UK High Commission yesterday said.
The live-size sculpture, called ‘Solomon Siren’, depicts the story of climate activist, Gladys Habu Bartlett, whose ancestral land on Kale Island has gradually disappeared beneath the sea, the statement said.
Over the past two decades, rising sea levels have inundated the island, forcing her family to relocate.
In recent years, Gladys has highlighted the plight of Kale to demonstrate the world’s complacency towards the threat faced by many small island states in the Pacific, the UK High Commission said.
A new assessment by the UN indicates that global sea levels are increasing at twice the rate of a decade ago.
The sculpture of stainless steel and concrete depicts a life-size figure of Gladys, her head resting against a tree stump, the statement said.
The figure represents all women in the community, reflecting on the loss of their lands to the sea. At high tide, the sea submerges a large part of the figure.
The body of the figure is inscribed with a series of dates that mark Kale Island’s fate: 2006, when rising sea waters became alarming; 2016, when scientists confirmed the complete loss of Kale; and 2026, the year the sculpture was installed, the statement said.
“The sculpture will serve as a memorial to the vanished island of Kale,” said artist Taylor.
Taylor, who is based in London, is an award-winning sculptor who is widely regarded as the founder of underwater art.
He has constructed sculptures in seas all over the world, including in the Caribbean and Indian Ocean.
Through his works, he aims to draw attention to the fragility of the maritime environment and the communities in these regions.
Manele and HE Turner opened the event last Thursday with Gladys Bartlett cutting the ribbon. Turner told the community that the UK will continue to be a voice for Pacific Island states on climate action, the UK High Commission statement said.
He said that ‘Solomon Siren’ is yet another wake-up call for climate-change deniers to understand the impact of rising sea-levels on people’s lives.
The timing is perfect just before the COP Summit.
The official opening was attended by landowners of Kale and the provincial community who marked the poignant event with songs and prayers.
As everyone departed in the late afternoon, the Solomon Siren stood alone against the incoming tide, as it will for many years to come.
Photos credit: UK High Commission
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