FOODSCAPES is an aerial component of my Feed the Planet project, which aims to comprehensively explore the global food supply and address the increasing challenge of feeding the growing human population, projected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050, without further encroaching on natural lands. Gaining a deeper understanding of food production and its environmental impacts is crucial for making informed decisions. To accomplish this, I utilize professional drones to capture elevated perspectives, as they offer the most effective means of showcasing the immense scale required to sustain the entire human population.
An aerial view captures a striking red line being sprayed by demonstrators. More than a hundred art and design students, accompanied by senior lecturers and artists, collaborated to paint a vibrant pink-red stripe that stretches across Jerusalem, culminating at the Supreme Court, as an act of protest. This symbolic stripe serves as a visual representation of the inseparable bond between an autonomous judiciary and the principles of freedom of expression and creativity. Throughout history, the destruction of democratic institutions has invariably resulted in the persecution, suppression, and censorship of art, culture, and creative endeavors.
On September 19, the Cumbre Vieja volcano on the Canary Island of La Palma erupted for the first time in 50 years. The lava flowed towards the ocean, devastating entire villages and agricultural lands, leading to the displacement of approximately 7,000 people from their homes. This eruption became the longest on record in La Palma's history, lasting for three months until it was officially declared over in the last week of December. Although this disaster was not caused by human behavior but rather the forces of nature, it serves as a stark reminder of the significant environmental damage caused, including the destruction of forests, farmlands, and wildlife. It should serve as a warning to us all.
Thousands of vibrant red chili peppers are harvested under the scorching sun before being sorted for delivery to spice companies in Sariakandi, Bogura, Bangladesh. More than 2,000 women work across nearly 100 chili farms in Bogura to supply local spice companies with high-quality chilies for their recipes. Among the vast quantity, they meticulously pick out any inferior chili peppers. Chilies hold great significance in Bengali cuisine, widely enjoyed in Bangladesh, and are incorporated with other spices in a variety of meat dishes, including chicken and beef.
The photographs take us on a journey to Bosnia Herzegovina, revealing the intersection between aesthetic and documentary photography. These images depict places that regrettably exist throughout the Balkan region: garbage dumps that serve as living and working spaces for impoverished individuals. Open-cast mines and factories that deplete the Earth's limited resources to generate inexpensive and polluting electricity. The toxic waste and by-products left behind by the energy industry, gradually contaminating the soil, water, and air. This abstracting element entices viewers to be simultaneously captivated by the visual beauty while recognizing its underlying environmental implications.
