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Save the Beach Hotel, Rome, Italy
Words fly away, writings remain and I have a great desire to focus your attention on this thematic building devoted to World Environment Day celebrated on 5th June.
Rubbish, trash, waste, litter, dirt, debris, garbage - all these words have a dark, unpleasant shade of meaning. But you should be aware that your trash is someone's treasure and with your help he'll become a beggar on horseback. And even out of envy don't throw rubbish away, don't get rid of it at beaches, in the streets and just keep it to you. I can't exactly said how many stars we could give to this hotel...But I really like it, especially its mission that is to raise awareness about the rubbish polluting of the world's beaches. Save the Beach Hotel rose up in the centre of Rome among its ancient monuments in 2010, from 3-7 June. Such a historical city and such a funny building- of course, the fact is a bit ironic. Though this original work of art attracted many tourists, my heart is full of sorrow and pain.
German artist HA Schult (Hans-Jurgen Schult) for whom trash is an artistic material created this hotel beside the second century Castle Sant'Angelo (The Mausoleum of Hadrian) on the bank of the Tiber. He wanted to emphasize our incredible ignorance with garbage. I'm deeply impressed by the fact that his hotel was made of 12 tonnes of rubbish: plastic bags and bottles, old tins, hats, cameras, socks, soccer balls, fishing nets, skateboards, unwanted clothes, toys, even a rocking horse and a mannequin.... All this "useful" materials were found on European beaches and selected by Schult. The hotel featured three rooms, two baths. Here was no running water, electricity or room service but you might sleep in clean beds. The lavatories were chemical toilets, there were no showers and sheets had been ripped up to act as curtains. "It was a striking work of art" told the Danish model Helena Christensen after spending a night there. Strangely enough, this environmental project sponsored by the beer brand Corona Extra as alcohol containers are major sources of litter on tourist-heavy beaches. And besides it's the best way for a brand advertisement.
In the end I call upon everybody not to pollute our little planet and to struggle for a clean life and environment.
"We live in the trash time: we produce trash and we become trash. So this hotel is the mirror of the situation. We have to change the world, before the world changes us"- Schult gave high praise to his project and hoped to recreate it in many other countries.
By Lilit Khalatyan, www.biulding.am
Photos: www.weheart.co.uk
