This artist transforms old Nike into sculptural wonders made of moss, bark

Christophe Guinet grew up between two worlds. Part of his life is spent in Marseille, where he discovers the wonders of nature. Part of his life is spent in Paris, where he discovers skating and urban culture.

As a young adult, looking at his own growing collection of sneakers in his closet, he wanted to be able to recycle them, one way or another. And that’s when his alter ego was born: Mr. Plant. He is an artist who works at the intersection of consumerism and nature. And since 2015, he has been recycling old Nike into plant sculptures, repelling his shoes with natural materials, including moss, bark and flowers, some of which he keeps for sale to art collectors, without watering required.

“I like to play with the opposition and use symbols giving them a natural and ethical twist, as if to say that nature will always triumph over man and his modes of consumption”, writes Guinet by email.

His last three works illustrated here—Topical, Captain Wood, and Fossil-are wonderful explorations of cognitive dissonance. On the one hand, his works present a repulsive and dystopian vision of a post-consumer world, in which humanity has been excessively destroyed and nature continues without us. (Note how in each of these pieces, Guinet captures not only the shoes, but the layers of earth beneath them, turning the shoes into archaeological artifacts from a past world.) On the other, it’s always Nike that Guinet sells. – some of the world’s most coveted consumer products! And his unique designs, dark as they are, may seem like the highest articulation in sneakerhead culture. After all, what are contemporary sneakers if not mass-produced modern art, an area where rarity and avant-garde designs carry value?

I can appreciate Guinet’s work more now than a few years ago, knowing that both Adidas and Nike are taking significant steps to turn their shoes into circular products. But each of his works always lands with a punch in the guts, reminding us of our literal imprint on this perfect planet.

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