Somerset House in London are proud to present Pollution Pods by Michael Pinksky – a visual example of different polluted environments from around the world.
Five geodesic domes have been created by British artist Michael Pinksky, each representing individual environments, from the freshest air to arguably the worst. The first dome, Norway, represents fresh, clean smelling air. The second to last domes are the cities of London, New Delhi, Beijing and Sao Paulo, representing some of the world’s lowest air quality.
Although a visual example, the contents of these pods aren’t all visible. London has an invisible but high level of nitrogen dioxide, whereas New Delhi’s air is filled with a haze of airborne particles. These environments host various levels of ozone, carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter.
Research supports that the average Londoner loses up to 16 months of their life based on their exposure to the current levels of pollution. Even worse, it’s estimated that citizens in New Delhi could lose up to 4 years of their lives.
Industry expert Joe Flanagan has always felt passionate about indoor and outdoor air quality and vigorously tries to improve the standards. When he heard about this exhibition he had to see it for himself. After the visit, he had this to say: “It was interesting to see and smell the different environments from around the world. I feel this exhibition really brings it home just how bad the problem continues to be.” You can see more of Joe’s visit, including a gallery below.
Want to see it for yourself? Pollution Pods by Michael Pinsky is being exhibiting at Somerset House in London until 25th April 2018. There is free admission which also includes talks, flag commissioning and workshops.
Somerset House, The Big Issue. (2018). Pollution pods: Every breath you take. Published 16 April, 2018. Retrieved 20 April, 2018.
