Good Intentions May Have Killed the Kelp—And Other Yarn Bombing Disasters
News from the beaches of Mexico have grandmothers and shepherds thinking twice about where they spin their wool, as the Mexican government drafts charges against a crocheter they've declared a vandal.
Picking up popularity as a peaceful form of protest, or temporary graffiti as officers refer to it, "yarn bombing" has become a fairly common occurrence in Metropolitan life. Wrapped around phone polls, hung from trees, or even adorning a scantily clad historical monument, sweaters and other fibrous creations are spun and strung up throughout cities worldwide. But one such protest is causing a not-so-peaceful resolution as Mexican officials say they're ready to prosecute.
Agata Oleksiak, who goes by the alias "Olek", is a Polish street artist known for her crocheted forms of protests in yarn bombing across the world, who is now facing charges after going under the sea to make her statement. Diving off the coast of Cancun, Olek yarn bombed the Cancun Underwater Museum's underwater sculptures to call attention to endangered species such as Mexico's whale sharks, who's struggles she believes are going unheard. But Mexican officials say that it is Olek's colorful woolen form of graffiti that is damaging marine-life growing on the sculptures themselves; a violation of the environmentally protected area, and Mexican officials are prepared to press charges.
"Believe it or not, there is a lot of marine-life growing, encrusted in the sculpture" Cancun Underwater Museum's director Jaime Gonzalez says. "And we gather that this has killed those species."
Not only disturbing an environmentally protected area, but also a profitable attraction for tourists, Cancun is taking serious action against Olek, whose sole defense was ignorance and good intentions.
"If they want to sue me, I don't know... I can pay them back with crocheting more underwater sculptures" Olek said. "I don't know why they would sue me, but maybe they're a little bit upset that I did it there. But my intentions were positive and that's the most important thing about my work-I really want to create a positive message."
But officials and marine biologists are left asking: are good intentions enough? Should potentially polluting or damaging species be overlooked if the genuine intent behind the message is pure? Some may say yes, however, Mexican officials do not believe so, and have filed a lawsuit that may have Olek selling sweaters instead of protesting, for good.