when: 18 September 2025 | venue: Martin Place | cost: FREE | address: Martin Place, Sydney 2000
published: 12 Sep 2025, 5 min read
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Set in the not-so-distant future, the Aquarium of Tomorrow is a provocative installation that challenges us to imagine a world where plastic pollution overwhelms our oceans. With an estimated 21,000 pieces of plastic in the ocean for every person on Earth*, this ‘plastic smog’ is doubling roughly about every 6 years. This activation makes the issue of plastic in our oceans impossible to ignore.
The installation features fish and marine creatures, all crafted from thousands of plastic items commonly found polluting the ocean, such as bottle caps, plastic bags, cans, and food wrappers. Instead of colourful clownfish or majestic manta rays, visitors might encounter the ‘Clingray,’ made from discarded plastic wrap, or watch the ‘Bagglefish’ drift by, a haunting symbol of the millions of plastic bags clogging waterways around the world.
Created by Adelaide-based and globally exhibited (Saatchi Art, Tokyo Art Fair, Zurich Sustainability Week), Swapna Namboodiri, the installation transforms plastic waste into thought-provoking art. Namboodiri specialises in installations and sculptural artworks using mixed media, including found objects and repurposed plastics, with her art practice inextricably intertwined with sustainability.
“Through the Aquarium of Tomorrow, I want to create a visceral connection between the beauty we’ve lost and the plastic we’re creating,” said Swapna Namboodiri. “By transforming plastic waste into these creatures, we’re asking viewers to confront what we’re leaving for future generations, and to consider how our choices today can reshape tomorrow’s oceans.”
The installation celebrates the launch of leading customer-owned and B Corp bank, Bank Australia’s new bank cards. The card body is made from 100% recycled plastic with 64% collected from coastal communities by the global nonprofit environmental organisation, Parley for the Oceans. While functional components, including the chip, hologram and magnetic strip, cannot currently be sourced as recycled plastic.
“The Aquarium of Tomorrow is a glimpse into a future we don’t want to see. Our customers care deeply about plastic pollution*, and so do we. That’s why we’re proud to launch Australia’s first translucent card created with plastic waste collected by Parley for the Oceans. We know this card won’t solve the plastic crisis. But it’s a small, meaningful way we’re helping to take a stand for healthy oceans,” said Nicole Hunter, Head of Brand at Bank Australia.
The Aquarium of Tomorrow invites Australians to imagine the kind of ocean future generations may inherit and consider how small choices, like how we bank and live, can shape a cleaner, more transparent future.
The public are invited to come and experience the Aquarium of Tomorrow.
Event Details:
● The Aquarium of Tomorrow activation
● 8am-6pm Thursday, 18th September, 2025
● Martin Place, Sydney
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Set in the not-so-distant future, the Aquarium of Tomorrow is a provocative installation that challenges us to imagine a world where plastic pollution overwhelms our oceans. With an estimated 21,000 pieces of plastic in the ocean for every person on Earth*, this ‘plastic smog’ is doubling roughly about every 6 years. This activation makes the issue of plastic in our oceans impossible to ignore.
The installation features fish and marine creatures, all crafted from thousands of plastic items commonly found polluting the ocean, such as bottle caps, plastic bags, cans, and food wrappers. Instead of colourful clownfish or majestic manta rays, visitors might encounter the ‘Clingray,’ made from discarded plastic wrap, or watch the ‘Bagglefish’ drift by, a haunting symbol of the millions of plastic bags clogging waterways around the world.
Created by Adelaide-based and globally exhibited (Saatchi Art, Tokyo Art Fair, Zurich Sustainability Week), Swapna Namboodiri, the installation transforms plastic waste into thought-provoking art. Namboodiri specialises in installations and sculptural artworks using mixed media, including found objects and repurposed plastics, with her art practice inextricably intertwined with sustainability.
“Through the Aquarium of Tomorrow, I want to create a visceral connection between the beauty we’ve lost and the plastic we’re creating,” said Swapna Namboodiri. “By transforming plastic waste into these creatures, we’re asking viewers to confront what we’re leaving for future generations, and to consider how our choices today can reshape tomorrow’s oceans.”
The installation celebrates the launch of leading customer-owned and B Corp bank, Bank Australia’s new bank cards. The card body is made from 100% recycled plastic with 64% collected from coastal communities by the global nonprofit environmental organisation, Parley for the Oceans. While functional components, including the chip, hologram and magnetic strip, cannot currently be sourced as recycled plastic.
“The Aquarium of Tomorrow is a glimpse into a future we don’t want to see. Our customers care deeply about plastic pollution*, and so do we. That’s why we’re proud to launch Australia’s first translucent card created with plastic waste collected by Parley for the Oceans. We know this card won’t solve the plastic crisis. But it’s a small, meaningful way we’re helping to take a stand for healthy oceans,” said Nicole Hunter, Head of Brand at Bank Australia.
The Aquarium of Tomorrow invites Australians to imagine the kind of ocean future generations may inherit and consider how small choices, like how we bank and live, can shape a cleaner, more transparent future.
The public are invited to come and experience the Aquarium of Tomorrow.
Event Details:
● The Aquarium of Tomorrow activation
● 8am-6pm Thursday, 18th September, 2025
● Martin Place, Sydney
Go see Aquarium of Tomorrow 2025.
Aquarium of Tomorrow 2025 is on 18 September 2025. The opening hours are: 8:00 am - 6:00 pm. Conveniently located in Sydney. Call 0409 855 569 for details.
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