Kingdoms Built On Sand

Part of Gill Govan's clever and thought provoking piece called 'Kingdoms Built on Sand' - one of the entries for the exhibition 'Yellow' currently on at An Tobar.  

In her artist's statement she says "Sand is the most widely consumed natural resource on the planet after fresh water.  By the end of the 21st century, beaches will be a thing of the past and glass will have become a luxury product.  

Sand is used in toothpaste, detergents, cosmetics, computers and mobile phones.  The world wide construction boom, fuelled by emerging economies and increasing urbanisation, has led to intensive sand extraction on land and in the oceans.  It has damaging environmental and socio-economic impacts including the rise of Sand Mafias controlling much of the building industry, the destruction of fish breeding grounds and the depletion of fresh water supplies through riverbed dredging."