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Building a Tower to Frame Plastic Waste

Building a Tower to Frame Plastic Waste documents the making of an installation work Tower. Tower reflects on climate change and the biblical story of the Tower of Babel - a story of greed and the value of cultural differences. Combining sculpture, video, archiving and community participation, the work highlights interviews of people of diverse backgrounds sharing their personal experiences with climate change.
The stories transcribed in English are available as an additional attachment.

  • Sari Nordman
    Director
  • Sari Nordman
    Producer
  • Robert Mencarini
    Tower design
  • Sari Nordman
    Tower design
  • Project Type:
    Experimental, Short, Web / New Media
  • Genres:
    Experimental, Environmental, Ecological
  • Runtime:
    11 minutes 35 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    October 16, 2020
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    Finland, United States
  • Language:
    English, Finnish, Georgian, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Ukrainian, Yue Chinese (Cantonese)
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital 4K
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • The Immigrant Artist Biennial
    New York
    United States
    October 16, 2020
    World Premiere
  • COAL + ICE Art as Community Activation -panel
    Washington D.C.
    United States
    March 16, 2022
  • Vaasa Wildlife Festival
    Vaasa
    Finland
    September 29, 2022
    European Premiere
    2nd RUNNER UP in ENERGY & SUSTAINABILITY FILMS
Distribution Information
  • AV-Arkki, The Centre for Finnish Media Art
    Distributor
    Country: Finland
Director Biography - Sari Nordman

Sari Nordman, a native of Finland, is a New York -based interdisciplinary artist who has created public art projects, video works and dance performances. She has exhibited and performed her works for Art in Odd Places, Brooklyn Arts Exchange, Center for Performance Research, Columbia University, CounterCurrent Festival (Ten Tiny Dances), Danspace Project (DraftWork), FiveMyles Gallery (BRIC Biennial), The Immigrant Artist Biennial 2020, In Situ, The Irondale Center (FLICfest), Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning at King Manor Museum (Jamaica Flux), Movement Research at the Judson Church, Performance Mix Festival, and SHIM Finland at Odetta Gallery in the US; and in Greece and Finland.
Nordman has enjoyed residencies at Atlantic Center for the Arts, Bearnstow, Brooklyn Arts Exchange, Catwalk Institute, Fantasy Generator at Hollins University and Tofte Lake Center in the US; at Eckerö Post and Customs House, Loimaan Taidetalo, RaumArs, Tohmajärvi and Zodiak Z Free in Finland; and at Solo works @ 77 in Greece. She is a recipient of American Scandinavian Society Cultural Grant, Brooklyn Arts Council Creative Equations Fund, The Dance/NYC Coronavirus Dance Relief Fund, as well as Finlandia Foundation and The Puffin Foundation grants. Her works have been reviewed in publications and artist talks such as Art Spiel, COAL + ICE at The Kennedy Center, The Dance Enthusiast, Hunters Point Library Environmental Education Center Program, OffOffOff, Women Cinemakers and in several Finnish publications.
She holds a M.F.A. from NYU/Tisch School of the Arts.

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Director Statement

My interdisciplinary art works combine sculpture, video and dance; I create socially engaged art that intervenes in public spaces. My processes include film, metal work, fiber arts and poetry. My process also draws from my background in dance and my interest in exploring movement as a way to suggest action or change.
My process is rooted in my travels to the isolated parts of the world to reflect on nature, history and female experience - the recurring themes in my works. Having extensively traveled in Greece visiting scores of ancient archeological sites, I have contemplated the remains humans leave behind. I have seen collapsed walls, towers and monuments that once represented magnificent cities and peoples. What awes me in these sites, in addition to their magnificence, is nature’s slow, quiet invasion and continued vitality. Reflecting on nature’s permanence and the impermanence of human made artifacts my works highlight nature's ability to remain vital despite the impact of contemporary humans.
With my works I hope the viewers can experience a unified, global voice emphasizing the importance of healing nature to heal ourselves, and calling for action to protect the environment.