The whale has come
Photo courtesy of Dani Scolton
For the last few weeks, there have been mysterious rumblings throughout campus centering on a giant blow-up whale destined to arrive on the college green. Upon first hearing these rumors, I did not know what to expect. Is this whale permanent? Is the whale going to move around? How big is this whale? But overall, I mostly wondered why.
The whale in question is a 65-foot model of a white sperm whale, installed by Florida-based artist Billie Lynn. According to Dan Folt’s article in The Daily News about Billie’s art, the whale was sewn together with the help of a 10-dollar thrifted sewing machine, which directly supports the overarching theme of this whale’s presence: sustainability.
The whale was the backdrop for a science- and art-based festival taking place in the MacVittie College Union Ballroom and the College Green, outside the Integrated Science Center (ISC). The whale is an environmental art piece that goes much deeper than being a large inflatable. According to Dan Folt, Lynn was heavily influenced by having read Moby Dick as a child, and the whale’s symbolism of nature and how you cannot defeat it.
Sperm whales are heavily impacted by the growing usage of fossil fuels and industrial development. In a publication by Defenders of Wildlife, I found how drastically marine life can be damaged by these human-made issues. The publication writes, “Exposure to oil in this way could damage mucous membranes, damage airways or even cause death. Other risks may include: hypothermia due to conductance changes in skin, resulting in metabolic shock; toxic effects and secondary organ dysfunction due to ingestion of oil; interstitial emphysema due to inhalation of oil droplets.” Not only are whales being negatively affected by human innovation, but other forms of wildlife are as well. Lynn’s art installation, although whale-themed, is meant to raise awareness of how detrimental human creation can be to the environment as a whole. Animals are inhabitants of this planet as well, and they deserve a chance at a comfortable life free from harmful human intervention.
Despite the more serious themes behind the whale's presence, the events surrounding it are the total opposite of a funeral for marine life. Alive with performance from Geneseo students, A Whale of a Time: A Science/Art Festival was sponsored by the Office of the Provost; Ideas That Matter; the Office of Sponsored Research; the Genesee Valley Literary Forum; the School of Performing Arts; the Department of Biology; the Department of English & Creative Writing; and the National Science Foundation (IOS #2407551 to M.E. Gerringer).
Some events that the giant figure has watched over included a puppet workshop, a poetry reading, a sunset cello performance, a serenade by Geneseo’s own a cappella group, SouthSide Boys, and multiple workshops featuring different aspects of art and climate change.
Already, the curiosity sparked by this giant whale has created a sense of community among SUNY Geneseo students. The festival ended on Mar. 10 at 8 p.m. with a dance party as the campus said goodbye to the whale while it deflated. If you happen to feel inspired by the whale, there is a link on the college’s website for students to find resources and take action. Although the large art piece is gone from Geneseo, we can only hope that what it stood for will remain in the minds and hearts of the people who witnessed it.