Wind Socks emerges as a creative symbol of upcycling in Pınar Akkurt’s Wastetopia series.

The black and blue garbage bags swaying in the wind in the courtyard of the historic Sinop Prison become a reflection of the throwaway culture, critiquing the consumption-driven approach of industrial and modern life. The fishing rods she uses as carriers also touch on Sinop’s roots as a port city, connecting with the sea beyond the prison walls.

Through Akkurt’s creative intervention, these ordinary objects transform into a profound commentary on environmental crises. The closed ends of the Wind Socks symbolize that consumption hasn’t ended but instead offers a new beginning.

These waste-based objects, filling and emptying with the wind and releasing energy into nature, point to a cyclical future. With their absurd oscillations, the Wind Socks question humanity’s rapidly increasing consumption habits while inviting people to rethink their relationship with nature. Gaining new functions through upcycling, these objects serve as a warning for a more nature-friendly lifestyle. In the courtyard of Sinop Prison, they symbolize ecological freedom, materializing absurd realities and offering viewers the opportunity to think alternatively and develop creative solutions. As the Wind Socks open the doors to individual and societal transformation, they also present hopeful possibilities for the future.