Kiehl’s Unveils Earth Month Sculpture by Benjamin Von Wong
Kiehl’s is gearing up to unveil its latest collaboration.
The L’Oréal-owned beauty brand has teamed with artist and activist Benjamin Von Wong on the sculptural installation “Single-Use Reflections.” It will appear on the High Line in New York City from Thursday until April 17.
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Timed with Earth Month, “Single-Use Reflections” invites viewers to pause for a moment of reflection on how both widespread systemic change and small individual lifestyle shifts, such as using refillable products, can evoke hope and positively impact the planet’s future.
Large-scale mirrors featuring thought-provoking prompts protrude from the mountain of empties and provide photo touch points. Hidden within the installation is a keyhole where viewers can peek into a miniature world, inspired by an old-world apothecary, highlighting potential ways to reduce plastic waste.
“I am honored to be partnering with Kiehl’s to amplify their message around circularity,” said Von Wong. “I was inspired by the Greek legend of the Hydra, which grows back another head for each one that you cut off — reminiscent of the single-use plastic waste problem. I am a firm believer of progress over perfection. Through this sculpture I hope to inspire people and companies to join Kiehl’s in loudly championing single-use alternatives.”
For its part, Kiehl’s has committed to making single-use plastic a thing of the past, by designing 100 percent of its products to be reused, refilled, or made of recycled materials by 2030.
The installation joins a series of Earth Month programming led by Earth Day Initiative, a New York City-based nonprofit organization that promotes environmental awareness and solutions. That includes a conversation between Von Wong; Maggie Kervick, Kiehl’s global head of sustainability, and environmentalist and drag queen Pattie Gonia about circularity and waste as part of Earth Day Initiative’s Earth Day 2024 Virtual Stage. The segment will be featured on Earth Day Initiative’s web site beginning April 22.
Kervick said: “The integrated challenges facing business and society today continuously require us to rethink our business model. At Kiehl’s, we’re on an imperfect journey to drive a more circular economy by respecting resources, designing out waste, and empowering our community. We are focused on designing out single-use virgin plastic and keeping materials in play for longer. Enabling a circular economy requires collective action and collaboration across industries and ecosystems. ‘Single-Use Reflections’ encourages consumers and cross-sector partners to change behaviors toward refill and reuse.”
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