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[title]The oath of a trapper is lengthy, but here it is in a nutshell. One: Don’t be a bully. Two: Leave trash drops to the artist—and don’t pick up anything you don’t intend to keep. Three: Share the wealth; claim only one piece of trash per day to help your fellow trappers in their hunt. Four: Never stalk the artist, for this is a heat-up. And five: Respect the mission. Should you agree to these terms, you must swear your oath with a digital drop of blood. Welcome to Biscayne World.
This isn’t some apocalyptic commune or survivalist cult. It’s an underground community of art collectors, crypto enthusiasts and 305 ride-or-dies who live by the thrill of keeping Miami’s streets clean. Today, the community is over 2,000 deep on the social chat platform Discord, and they answer to one leader: graffiti artist David Anasagasti, better known as Ahol Sniffs Glue. If you haven’t heard of him, you definitely know his tag: an unfazed, half-opened, striped eye that looks right past you, no matter where you’re standing in Miami.
“Geographies of Trash'' is the name of his ongoing, two-year-old project. Every day, Ahol mounts his bike and hits the road, tagging unsuspecting litter along the way: tires, baby scooters, Starbucks cups, toilet scrubbers—even big household items like toilets and washing machines aren’t spared. Finished pieces are then uploaded to Biscayne World’s “landfill gallery,” as well as Ahol’s personal Instagram, followed by more than 42,000 fans. He’s probably already posted something today.
Ahol never reveals the location, instead showing just enough background to clue in and bait the trappers. Then, the frenzy. Fans throw around guesses as to where the pieces might be, grab their cars or bikes and begin their IRL hunt. Once the item has been found, one lucky trapper has the privilege of not only taking home the unique piece but also collecting a one-of-a-kind NFT.
I feel like we’re treading new grounds.
“It’s about the democratization of art, giving people the opportunities to collect,” Ahol says of the project. “And they’re doing it via trash.”
Over the past two years, Ahol has transformed around 2,000 pieces of detritus into collectible art, minted 839 corresponding NFTs and distributed those among 374 unique wallets. This is a man whose commercial works sell for upwards of $4,000 at art galleries, whose iconography is as Miami as Miami itself. And yet, “Geographies” has become his daily mission, with a net gain of leaving Miami fairer—and cleaner—than it was before.
“[This project] brings up the question: Is it watering down the art?” says Ahol. “The galleries that sell my work see that it could be competition but, in a way, I feel like we’re treading new grounds. Getting on a bike is priceless to me; getting trash off my own city’s streets is priceless to me; engaging with the fanbase is priceless.”
Ahol keeps the community hyped by gamifying the experience, whether it’s handing out “Super Spreader” badges to trappers who donate trash from their collection or posting drawing challenges to win limited edition NFTs. The Biscayne World Discord is always going off with comments, conversations, emoji reactions and memes.
Collectors even have the chance to display their finds at recognized institutions. Last May, it was at The Wolfsonian–FIU. This month, it’s at the Museum of Graffiti as part of their latest exhibit, “Reduce, Reuse, Remix: Graffiti Art for a Better Earth,” open through May 28.
Fifteen local artists were tasked with creating works out of found objects and ink made from air pollution. Geographies of Trash collectors submitted a number of pieces, and a few lucky ones have been selected for display. They include a suitcase, a propane tank, an Andiamo pizza box, a lone Patrón bottle and a whole shrine to Miami’s favorite form of footwear, the chancleta.
“I find it really warms the hearts of the collectors, of the people who have found this stuff and get this acknowledgment,” says Alan Ket, co-founder and curator of the Museum of Graffiti. “Whatever treasure they’ve found has this recognition beyond their home and the community. They’re people from all walks of life.”
Though the environmental element is crucial, to boil Geographies of Trash down to merely clearing the streets of rubbish would be to miss a major point. It’s about entry points and connections: an invitation to explore paths in Miami you might otherwise overlook and gain access to the elusive worlds of art collecting and NFTs. It’s also a gateway to activism—if one artist with a bike and a few cans of spray paint can will thousands of pieces of trash off the streets, imagine what other kinds of transformations can be achieved on a collective scale.
“Reduce, Reuse, Remix: Graffiti Art for a Better Earth” takes place at The Museum of Graffiti in Wynwood through May 28. Geographies of Trash, however, is an ongoing project, and you can join the Biscayne World community—and start collecting your pieces—here.