This ancient spruce forest was felled on the orders of Poland's then environment minister, Jan Szyszko, citing safety and the bark beetle outbreak. As part of the EU's Natura 2000 network, Poland was obliged to protect areas outside the national park that are essential for threatened species and habitats. Forestry is closely tied to Polish national identity, and EU intervention was cast by the government as outside interference, fuelling local opposition to expanding the national park.
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.
This ancient spruce forest was felled on the orders of Poland's then environment minister, Jan Szyszko, citing safety and the bark beetle outbreak. As part of the EU's Natura 2000 network, Poland was obliged to protect areas outside the national park that are essential for threatened species and habitats. Forestry is closely tied to Polish national identity, and EU intervention was cast by the government as outside interference, fuelling local opposition to expanding the national park.
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.
