Unearthed

Unearthed is an eco-art instal­la­tion and pub­lic trea­sure hunt that con­fronts the hid­den impact of sin­gle-use plas­tics in our soil. Ceram­ic ​“plas­tic fos­sils,” mod­eled after crushed bot­tles and fin­ished with an oil-slick glaze, evoke a future archae­ol­o­gy of waste. Guid­ed by a poem, par­tic­i­pants search for a hand-built black clay trea­sure chest con­tain­ing an orig­i­nal ceram­ic bot­tle sculp­ture. The find­er may keep the art­work and is invit­ed to share their dis­cov­ery online, help­ing spread aware­ness of plas­tic pol­lu­tion and its last­ing envi­ron­men­tal legacy. 

On view from July 6 – 19, 2026.

Swale is one of the 2026 Gov­er­nors Island Arts Orga­ni­za­tions in Res­i­dence.