Shattered Dates

Abstract

The term sustainable has followed us since our school days, a word that once lived in textbooks, now echoes in daily conversations, product labels, and global forums. Sustainability often takes centre stage in discussions around climate change. As digital technology evolved, new innovations like NFTs (non-fungible tokens) sparked fresh debate. While creative in form, NFTs have also raised concerns about energy consumption and digital pollution, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions, as noted by Truby (2022). Shattered Dates is a traditional artwork that symbolically captures the fragile state of our climate. The use of bread tags, each imprinted with dates, months, and years, represents the passage of time and the layers of environmental challenges humanity has faced. The broken, colourful fragments reflect a world in crisis, one fractured by neglect, yet still filled with memory and meaning. This piece resonates deeply with the theme of SUSTAINAISSANCE, a call for a creative and conscious revival. It reminds us that we are living in a critical moment. The future depends not only on acknowledging the damage but also on reshaping the way we live, consume, and create. Through art, awareness, and innovation, we can begin to piece together a more sustainable existence before time runs out.