Andy Hughes

An Expedition and Exhibition with Marine Debris as Material and Message
Pam Longobardi
Mark Dion
Alexis Rockman
Sonya Kelliher-Combs
Andy Hughes
Carl Safina

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a marine-based deposit of trash estimated to be the size of Mexico. Similar accumulations of human debris exist in every ocean. A flip-flop discarded in Thailand finds its way to Hawaii, and a bottle cast off from Japan’s tsunami is soon Alaska’s beach litter. The world shrinks as we all become connected through our litter, yet somehow we are still severed from the problem we’ve created. Garbage is killing the very life that depends on the ocean as a source of food and habitat. Now, in one of the most breathtaking places on the planet, a unique scientific expedition and art exhibition will blow the whistle.

THE EXPEDITION
In the summer of 2013, the R/V Norseman will set sail in Alaska with an international team of scientists, artists, an educator and a film crew. The expedition will originate at Unalaska Island, moving east along the Alaska Peninsula, Katmai and Kenai Fjords National Parks, and ending in Resurrection Bay. The crew will observe, document and collect marine debris.

THE EXHIBITION
The 7,000-square-foot exhibition will be displayed 12 weeks at the Anchorage Museum and will include sculpture, paintings, photography, multimedia installations, and science and educational interpretation.Following its Anchorage debut, Gyre will be repackaged for traveling by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Services.

THE ORGANIZERS
Gyre is organized by the Alaska Sea Life Center and the Anchorage Museum. The Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward is a private, non-profit marine science facility dedicated to generating and sharing scientific knowledge to promote understanding and stewardship of Alaska’s marine ecosystems. The Anchorage Museum’s mission is to share and connect Alaska with the world through art, history and science.

THE EXHIBITION TEAM
Eleven members of the 14-member expedition team have been selected so far: Expedition Leader: Chip Arnold, Dive Safety Officer, Alaska SeaLife Center
Scientist: Carl Safina, Founder and President, Blue Ocean Institute
Project Artists: Pam Longobardi | Mark Dion | Alexis Rockman
Sonya Kelliher-Combs | Andy Hughes
Expedition Photographer: Kip Evans
Filmographer: JJ Kelly