P l a s t i c S o u l s a n a r t w o r k o n t h e s o n i f i c a t i o n o f p l a s t i c w a s t e .

Beaches all over the world are buried under plastic waste, which inspired sound artist Geert-Jan Hobijn to create Plastic Souls: a floating musical instrument entirely made of plastic waste acquired by beachcombing. The waves of the sea will act as the musician of the instrument, which thereby also takes on the role of a siren and hopefully make people more aware of the disturbing trend of plastic waste on beaches and in oceans and seas.

STEP ONE FINDING YOUR MATERIAL

SORT THE MATERIAL THAT YOU FOUND ON THE BEACH. PUT ANY BOTTLE THAT IS BROKEN OR DAMAGED IN THE GARBAGE, YOU CAN’T USE THOSE.

SPLIT THE REMAINING BOTTLES IN TWO GROUPS: THOSE MADE OF THICK MATERIAL AND THOSE MADE OF THIN MATERIAL. BOTTLES MADE OF THICK MATERIAL SHOULD BE USED TO CREATE THE FLUTES, BECAUSE THEY ARE EASIER TO MOUNT THEN THE THICK WALLED BOTTLES. THE BOTTLES MADE OF THIN MATERIAL YOU CAN USE TO CREATE ROPE TO BIND YOUR INSTRUMENT TOGETHER.

TOOLS I USED ARE: BATTERY DRILL , CUTTER, SAW, HOT GLUE, HAIRDRYER, SMALL FILE, SHEARS, SCISSORS, TENON SAW, BOTTLE CUTTER, PLIERS, METAL WIRE.

MAKING YOUR BOTTLES SMOOTH

OF COURSE YOU NEED SOMETHING TO PUT ALL YOUR FLUTES AND CONSTRUCTIONS TOGETHER. YOU CAN USE ROPE, BUT THE IDEA IS TO MAKE AN INSTRUMENT ENTIRELY OUT OF PLASTIC. LUCKILY WE CAN CREATE ROPE FROM THE THIN BOTTLES.

BEFORE YOU CAN DO THIS, YOU NEED TO MAKE SURE YOUR BOTTLES ARE SMOOTH. TO REMOVE ALL THE RIDGES AND BUMPS YOU ONLY HAVE TO CLOSE THE BOTTLES AND KEEP THEM ABOVE A GAS STOVE. THE AIR INSIDE THE BOTTLE WILL EXPAND BECAUSE OF THE HEAT, MAKING THE BOTTLE NICE AND SMOOTH. OF COURSE THIS ONLY WORKS WHEN THERE ARE NO HOLES IN THE BOTTLE. HTTP://YOUTU.BE/5CWVWD_ZLK4

CREATING THE ROPE

THE FIRST THING YOU NEED TO CREATE TO MAKE ROPE FROM BOTTLES IS A ROPE CUTTER. I USED A YOUTUBE TUTORIAL FOR THIS. THERE ARE MANY OF THOSE, BUT I LIKE THIS ONE THE BEST:

WHEN YOU HAVE YOUR ROPE CUTTER YOU CAN THEN MAKE YOUR ROPE. HOW YOU DO THAT I EXPLAIN IN THE VIDEO BELOW. HTTP://YOUTU.BE/HQEEJEPBYSG

NOTE THAT WHEN YOU USE OLDER BOTTLES, THE PLASTIC WILL BREAK EASILY BECAUSE IT IS NOT SO FLEXIBLE ANYMORE. SO MAKE SURE YOU USE NEWER BOTTLES. AND AS MENTIONED BEFORE, ONLY USE BOTTLES MADE OF THIN PLASTIC TO CREATE ROPES. THE THICKER BOTTLES YOU CAN USE TO CREATE THE FLUTES.

CREATING THE PVC FLUTES

FIRST YOU CUT TWO RINGS OF THE PIPE ONE OF 3 CM ONE OF 6CM OF PVC PIPE.

THEN CUT THE U SCHAPEOUT OF THE REMAINING PART. MAKE SURE IT ALL CLEAN AND YOU HAVE TO FILE IT TO GET A BETTER TONE

USE THE 6CM RING ON THE INSIDE (YOU HAVE TO CUT IT IN LENGTHE AND TAKE SOME OF TO MAKE IT FIT INSIDE

THE INNER RING YOU HAVE TO CLOSE , I USED HOT GLEU AND SOME PLASTIC

THE 3CM RING ON THE OUTSIDE

FOR THE COMPLETE INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO MAKE A FLUTE YOU CAN WATCH THE VIDEO. HTTP://YOUTU.BE/VZ6IJVZS32O

Composed NatureBy Staalplaat Soundsystem and LOLA landscape architects

INSTALLING YOUR INSTRUMENT

I MADE A LONG FLOATING CONSTRUCTION WITH AL SORTS OF BOTTLES/FLUTES IN A LONG ROW. IN THAT WAY YOU CAN PLACE THE INSTRUMENT IN A 90 DEGREES ANGLE TO THE COAST, SO THAT EACH WAVE ROLLING TO THE COAST WILL PLAY THE FLUTES ONE AFTER THE OTHER. I AM USING A CATAMARAN LIKE CONSTRUCTION TO PREVENT IT FROM TILTING.

Composed NatureBy Staalplaat Soundsystem and LOLA landscape architects

»The ultrasound of therapy«

CREATING ANCHORS

THE INSTALLATION WILL BE PLACED IN THE SEA AND THE ENERGY OF THE WAVES WILL PLAY THE INSTRUMENTS. TO MAKE SURE THAT THE FLUTES ARE ACTUALLY PLAYED BY THE WAVES, THE INSTRUMENT HAS TO LIE IN THE WATER AND NOT ON THE WATER. TO ACHIEVE THIS YOU NEED AN ANCHOR. MAKE SURE YOUR ANCHOR IS REAL HEAVY OTHERWISE IT DOESN’T MAKE A DIFFERENCE AND YOUR INSTUMENT WILL BE LOST.

THE ANCHOR PROBLEM

WHEN I CAME BACK TO MY INSTRUMENT IN THE SEA AFTER A DAY THE WHOLE HAD MOVED CONSIDERABLY. . SO I HAVE TO RESEARCH WHERE IN THE CONSTRUCTION I HAVE TO FIXATE MY INSTRUMENT WITH AN ANCHOR, THAT IS MUCH STRONGER TO STOP IT FROM MOVING.