Twentieth-century sculptor Marcel Duchamp sparked controversy with his 1917 art work The Fountain - an old porcelain urinal. Today, artists are making even bolder statements using recyclable materials to attract investors from all over the world.This contemporary art form has become the darling of South Africa's creative industry, as investors look for different ways to invest their money.Goodman Gallery spokesman Matthew Krouse said this week: "When an artist creates out of waste material it reflects the value system of the world."It also makes some sort of critical statement about what waste is."He added that this type of art reflected the durability of waste products.South Africa's creative economy contributed R90.5-billion - 2.9% of GDP - in the 2013-14 financial year.story_article_left1Saki Zamxaka, CEO the technical division of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa, has been collecting art for more than 10 years.For Zamxaka, investing in art is cheaper than investing in property because it does not require ''a strong balance sheet''.''Art is a different investment, it offers different benefits and you really have to have a lot of money to invest in property," Zamxaka said.Nigerian contemporary artist Adejoke Tugbiyele said African art has always recycled and repurposed materials to create items, such as cowrie shells."These African forms have not been regarded as high art in the art world because attached to them were the same notions of 'backwardness' and 'pagantry'," she said.Tugbiyele used funnels to create a crown for her sculptural pieceContra Diction, to address issues of oil and corruption in Nigeria.With greater interest from investors in art made from recycleable materials, Tugbiyele said: ''I think naturally, [artists] will begin to take advantage of economic opportunities when they appear. Time will tell."Although contemporary artists might not have the same track record as those who used traditional mediums, it was likely that most artists would migrate towards new art forms, Zamxaka said...