We can’t swim forever (2011) by Tiffany Holmes
Recycled materials, polar bears, electronic cake turntables

This kinetic installation made from laser-cut acrylic as well as recycled kitchen and household materials is a poetic reference to the plight of the polar bear.

Expanded installation description
“We can’t swim forever” is a multimedia installation made from recycled kitchen and household materials. The piece functions as a elegiac reference to the plight of the polar bear—this marine mammal lives primarily in the imaginations of urban dwellers like myself. It was initially conceived as a window intervention for the Jean Albano Gallery in the fall of 2011.

The installation places a miniature population of polar bears into a kinetic display, which references a pastry shop window. Slowly revolving cake forms created from recycled household objects provide allusions to precarious icebergs of the far north. Laser-cut acrylic rings that articulate messages such as “Where did the winter go?” and “What if you never see us again?” provide formally interesting shadow plays atop the white forms of the kinetic sculptures.

Polar bears have long been the furry poster animals for global warming because they rely on sea ice for hunting and breeding. The rapidly melting sea ice in the Arctic now equals an area the size of Alaska, Texas, and the state of Washington combined. The polar bears have to paddle greater distances to find food, which stresses the cubs that do not possess adequate body fat to survive ten-hour swims. Many young simply drown in the quest for basic nourishment.

In 2008, the US Department of the Interior under the Bush administration offered the polar bear the “threatened” status under the Endangered Species Act. The polar bear is unusual among species protected under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) as the first animal to be identified as threatened because of climate change. Kassie Siegel, a lawyer for the Center for Biological Diversity, said the ESA decision provided recognition of “global warming’s urgency” but would have a minor influence on actually protecting polar bears in the future. In the future, if the bears were listed as endangered, new power plants could be blocked, as well as other sources of carbon dioxide and other gases that contribute to global warming. It also could make petroleum exploration more difficult.

Overall, the installation references the effects of climate change on a marine mammal population that has no hope of survival without immediate human intervention.

Dimensions + location information
This kinetic installation has a 5′ x 3′ footprint and stands about 5′ tall. It could be displayed under natural or artificial lights. Spotlights allow for interesting shadows to be cast from the laser cut text components, which spin at low speeds.

Electrical requirements
Each of the three turntables requires hook up to a standard 110V electrical outlet. All three plugs are grounded. Rotation speed can be varied from between 0 to 9 RPM; artist prefers a variety of speeds.