Artists Confront Waste and Consumerism in Provocative MoMA PS1 Exhibition

Emilija Skarnulyte’s video piece “Burial” creates an overwhelming sense of scale and vulnerability. Displayed as a floor-to-ceiling projection in a dimly lit gallery at MoMA PS1, it captures hazmat-suited workers meticulously dismantling a nuclear reactor reminiscent of Chernobyl. Using blowtorches, they cut massive turbines into transportable pieces while others examine the debris with Geiger counters. Though symbolizing a burial, the scene conveys a lingering vitality; the decommissioning process at Lithuania’s Ignalina plant began in 2004 and is expected to span 25 years—surpassing the plant’s active lifespan.

The exhibition, titled “The Gatherers,” brings together 14 artists from around the world, curated by the chief curator of PS1, Ruba Katrib. The show confronts the overwhelming scale of modern waste, presenting a global viewpoint with only two American participants and several artists appearing in U.S. museums for the first time. Through evocative videos, sculptures, and assemblages, the artists portray waste as a complex, expanding system that mirrors the relentless flow of consumer goods through society.

Rather than offering comforting messages about environmental preservation, the artists make the abstract realities of consumption strikingly tangible. They challenge viewers to truly acknowledge the presence and impact of waste in everyday life.

One standout work is “Flower of Life,” a kinetic sculpture by Bosnian artist Selma Selman. It features a claw from a scrapyard crane, its fingers resembling sharp steel petals that open and close with a mechanical hum, symbolizing the regenerative process of recycling. Selman’s personal connection to the theme is clear, as her family operates a scrapyard. Nearby, her piece “Nail” presents a single oversized framing nail crafted from solid gold reclaimed from discarded circuit boards. This sits above “Motherboards,” a pile of electronic waste, highlighting the dual nature of metals like gold and steel: infinitely recyclable but difficult and hazardous to extract. Often, e-waste ends up in toxic heaps where workers resort to smashing components with hammers.