Kwade Reuk

For the project Kwade Reuk, I am conducting an observational study of an area in Rotterdam that is notorious for high levels of air pollution. This location is situated at the intersection of the harbour, highway, and industrial complexes, and it is also a residential area. My aim is to make the invisible dangers of air pollution visible through my photography, and to gain insight into what a highly polluted environment looks like. To create the artworks, I employ a approach of using pollution itself as a medium. Specifically, I use particulate matter and soot from car exhausts to create pigments, which I then incorporate into paint. By using this technique, I can bring viewers into direct contact with the pollution that surrounds us. In addition to the pollution-derived pigments, I incorporate clay compositions and images of the local plant life. These plant images are snapshots of the environment and represent the gradual decay of nature and our own living environment. This process occurs without our conscious awareness and it represents a process that goes on without us really realising it and of which you can ultimately only experience the consequences.