Maria Cristina Finucci is an artist and architect known for her monumental works, which have been exhibited worldwide. From a young age, she began her research in the field of art, embracing painting, sculpture, architecture, design, video art, and post-production filmmaking. Her current work focuses on the visual representation of the environmental disaster caused by plastic waste and microplastics that are polluting the oceans.

The key project of Maria Cristina Finucci is called “Wasteland,” a continuous series of art installations that take place in iconic locations around the world. These works provocatively suggest the existence of the “State of Plastic Islands” or “Garbage Patch State,” a floating plastic nation founded by her at UNESCO in 2013. Through her art, she aims to raise awareness of the severe consequences for the planet and humanity.

Her major installations have been showcased in prestigious locations such as the Venice Biennale in 2013, ARCO Madrid in 2014, MAXXI in Rome in 2014, the United Nations in New York in 2014, the Bracco Foundation in Milan as part of EXPO in the City in 2015, Bluemed in Venice in 2015, COP 21 in Paris in 2015, Mozia in Sicily in 2016, the Roman Forum in Rome in 2018, and Fuorisalone in Milan in 2019 and 2023. In 2022, her art was also exhibited at the Italian Cultural Institute in Los Angeles.

In 2018, as the “Head of State” of the floating plastic nation, she signed the UN Agenda 2030 resolution on sustainable development. Her work has received numerous awards, and her pieces have been displayed in major museums and institutions, including the Shenzhen Biennale. Some of her works are part of permanent collections in institutions such as the Quirinal Palace, the Chamber of Deputies, the Bracco Foundation, Palazzo Borromeo, and the Farnesina collection, among others. In February 2019, she was awarded the title of Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic.

In 2022, Maria Cristina Finucci founded the Finucci Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to raising collective awareness about ocean pollution, the destruction of the planet, and the risk of human extinction through art.