The forest began growing 11,000 years ago as the ice-age permafrost retreated north. In the 14th century, King Władysław II Jagiełło made it his royal hunting ground, and forest wardens protected it on behalf of the crown until the early 20th century. During the German occupation in the First World War, a quarter of the trees were felled. However, the naturalist Hugo Conwentz persuaded the authorities to protect a 3,000-hectare fragment, which became the core of today's strict reserve. Today less than 1% of Poland's forests are strictly protected.
Archival analogue hand print from a large-format colour negative.
96 x 120 cm – limited edition of 5
70 x 80 cm – limited edition of 5
Signed and numbered by the artist, with a blockchain-registered Verisart Certificate of Authenticity.
About the project – Białowieża: Europe's Last Primeval Forest?
Straddling the border between Poland and Belarus, Białowieża is one of the last fragments of the ancient forest that covered the European plain after the last ice age. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site, home to the largest free-roaming herd of European bison. In 2016 the Polish government tripled logging quotas, including in old-growth stands. The decision drew legal action from the European Court and a warning from UNESCO, and it divided local communities. Photographed on large-format film in 2016 and 2017, the series records the forest's beauty alongside the logging that threatens it. The prints were first exhibited at Foto Wien 2022 in collaboration with Greenpeace.
The forest began growing 11,000 years ago as the ice-age permafrost retreated north. In the 14th century, King Władysław II Jagiełło made it his royal hunting ground, and forest wardens protected it on behalf of the crown until the early 20th century. During the German occupation in the First World War, a quarter of the trees were felled. However, the naturalist Hugo Conwentz persuaded the authorities to protect a 3,000-hectare fragment, which became the core of today's strict reserve. Today less than 1% of Poland's forests are strictly protected.
Archival analogue hand print from a large-format colour negative.
96 x 120 cm – limited edition of 5
70 x 80 cm – limited edition of 5
Signed and numbered by the artist, with a blockchain-registered Verisart Certificate of Authenticity.
About the project – Białowieża: Europe's Last Primeval Forest?
Straddling the border between Poland and Belarus, Białowieża is one of the last fragments of the ancient forest that covered the European plain after the last ice age. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site, home to the largest free-roaming herd of European bison. In 2016 the Polish government tripled logging quotas, including in old-growth stands. The decision drew legal action from the European Court and a warning from UNESCO, and it divided local communities. Photographed on large-format film in 2016 and 2017, the series records the forest's beauty alongside the logging that threatens it. The prints were first exhibited at Foto Wien 2022 in collaboration with Greenpeace.
