"Garbage out of Thin Air"

A 10-day exhibition of art in April, entitled, "Garbage out of Thin Air," was created by artists from the Kathmandu University Centre for Art & Design. The artists used garbage and debris collected on Mt. Everest and brought down by the Eco Everest Expedition 2008 Team led by Dawa Steven Sherpa. Debri included helicopter parts that have fallen out of the sky, garbage left over from trekking expeditions- pieces that have been buried in the snow and ice for decades. In total, 300 kilos of garbage were transported off the mountain!

Sherpa said the significance of this exhibition is to urge people to create greater empathy with the mountains. The garbage, in the form of art, will be valued by people who recognize the importance of Mt. Everest not only in mountaineering as the highest peak on earth, but also for the mountain’s cultural importance. He said it is also a symbol that if we can keep our mountains clean, then surely we can keep our town, cities, rivers and air clean.

The garbage brought down from Mt. Everest has been used to create works of art with a message rather than just being disposed of randomly.

What a great idea for young artists to use their creativity and have an outlet for social responsibility! It made me look at "garbage" in a whole new light.