Rule of Three
WALL-E
directed by Andrew Stanton
Feature film
Trembling strings, warm brass, and the smooth voice of a sixties musical star: ‘Out there, there’s a world outside of Yonkers.’ We pass galaxies before catching sight of the Earth, homing in on the familiar globe. We zoom through a belt of satellite scrap and a thick coat of smog, to hover over the planet’s surface. Skyscrapers tower, rivalled in height only by the heaped trash, discarded wind turbines, and industrial plants. A small robot navigates this apocalyptic wasteland, crushing garbage into cubes and carefully assembling them into new piles. The song continues, its optimism at odds with the backdrop, until Wall-E pauses the cassette.
Words by John Wadsworth
FOOD | sustainable | DESIGN
by Honey & Bunny
Food design, interactive art, performance art
View an image of the artists →
Under the canopy of the Milan Expo, a small group of diners took their seats at a long table, to be served a carefully curated meal. Their waiters, Honey & Bunny, encouraged them to think as they chewed, pondering their pivotal role in this culinary performance. Each bite became imbued with cultural concerns, from fracking to genetic engineering. By shining a spotlight on the act of consumption, FOOD | sustainable | DESIGN catalysed discussion about the impact of eating habits. Mindless grazing on convenience food was switched for a memorable meal, economics and the environment both plated and contemplated.
Words by Katherine Fieldgate
Redshift and Portalmetal
by Micha Cárdenas
Video game
Earth is expiring, its temperature irreparably raised. Blunt sans-serif font provides your choices: ‘Stay and help’ or ‘Go to the ice planet’. Click to remain: it is too late to act; the molten mess behind the text persists. You have no further option but to follow the next link, which takes you to the stars, to build a home within scarlet seascapes or arctic climes. Despite the game’s rudimentary visuals, you have advanced technology to aid your journey. You can transmit texts through an intra-retinal display, but your syntax remains millennial. Your last thought before departure, ‘c u soon’, flashes from your outbox in the blink of an eye.
Words by Elizabeth Brown
More to discover
WALL-E: View the trailer here. Watch the opening scene here. Tasha Robinson has interviewed Andrew Stanton, the film's director, for The A.V. Club.
food | SUSTAINABLE | design: Visit Honey & Bunny's website here. Nora Caplan-Bricker has written about the artists for The New Yorker, as has Fabio Parasecoli for The Huffington Post.
Redshift and Portalmetal: Play the game for free here.
Today's connection
All three artworks include a prominent ecological message.
Question of the day
Which artworks associated with the word 'Ecology' would you recommend? Let us know on Facebook, Patreon, or Twitter.
Plastic Beach, an album by Gorillaz, on which ecology is a prominent theme. (→)
– John Wadsworth, Silent Frame's Editor-in-Chief (via Patreon →)
Read more: Animated films
