I write these lines on a plastic keyboard, facing a plastic window frame, wearing a plastic sweater with plastic glasses, and drinking from a plastic cup. If I had breast implants, they would also be plastic.

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This month on Quarantined Museum, we invited you to think about a substance—plastic (as you might have guessed). This theme is inspired by the body of work by Philippe Allard now on display at the MAJ. Notably, the artist’s outdoor installation on the glass walls of the Museum! This work, PEHD-19, like many of the other pieces exhibited inside, is composed of recycled plastic taken directly from the sorting centre. The choice of this material draws our attention to its ubiquity in our everyday lives and to consequent issues of waste management.

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We invited you to consider the place that plastic occupies in the various spheres of life and art. What plastic items could you not do without? What is your favourite artwork made of plastic? What do you think a archaeologist of the 27th century will discover in the ground of the 21st? What do you think a archaeologist of the 32nd century will discover in the ground of the 27th? Will the Zero Waste movement help us overcome the recycling crisis? Will the current pandemic, with its disposable protective gear, bans on reusable containers in shops, and so on, cancel out recent efforts to mitigate the climate crisis?