Research and art meet in The Golden Mile Grotto

A collaboration between UNSW SMaRT Centre and local artists The Sirens Collective has repurposed discarded plastics into charming statues that form part of a shared artwork about marine life, memory, identity and renewal.

The Golden Mile Grotto transformed Darlinghurst Community Space into “an underwater world inspired by marine life, mythology and queer creativity,” part of the City of Sydney’s Art & About Oxford Street program.

UNSW SMaRT Centre materials science and engineering PhD candidate Asiyeh Kheradmand used SMaRT Centre-developed 3D printing technology of recycled plastic to produce three-dimensional coral, cuttlefish and water-worn statues designed by artist Shoufay Derz, based on items from Shoufay’s family history. 

“I really enjoyed working with the artists to turn their designs into sculptures using recycled plastic," said Asiyeh, who did the work as part of SMaRT's involvement in the Sustainable Communities and Waste Hub.

"My research focuses on repurposing waste, so it was rewarding to see it used in such a creative way."

The statues shared the Golden Mile Grotto space with woven forms by Wiradjuri and Māori artist Ngaire Pakai and recycled disco coral created by artist George Buchanan. 

Image above: Sirens Collective artists Ariella van Luyn (L) and Shelley Tansley (R), with Asiyeh and the statues in the background at the UNSW SMaRT Centre.

The collaboration reflects a shared interest in how materials, places and communities can be reimagined. 

Recycled plastic is no longer simply waste or pollution. Much of the plastic filament used in 3D printing in the UNSW SMaRT Centre's Plstics MICROfactorie^TM, for example, is repurposed from end-of-life printers, thanks to a partnership with RenewIT, leaders in plastic recycling. 

Through innovative technology, repurposed plastic waste morphs into playful undersea statues in an interactive art installation, where visitors are invited to "dive into a world of transformation."

The Hub’s work with The Sirens Collective has turned discarded plastics into part of a shared artwork about marine life, memory, identity and renewal.