Nature Under Threat - 2021 - 2022

Technique: photography
Exhibition available in 2 formats for outdoor use and 1 format for indoor use.

"More than 180,000 species of plants and animals exist in France and its overseas territories, representing more than 10% of all species in the world. Some animals can only live on or from certain plants, and the more plants we lose, the more animals we lose and those who eat them.
Biodiversity works like your own body. A small injury can be compensated for, but if you start losing an arm, it will have a significant impact on your life: at some point, you have reached the limit.
The problem is that we see nothing coming and we continue to artificialize rivers, to use chemicals and fertilizers, to increase the influence of monoculture: the decline in biodiversity will only manifest itself in the long term.
We know what to do: reduce our use of chemicals or fertilizers, use compost instead, return streams to their natural courses, leave stones in fields, refrain from eradicating weeds, do not lay bare the soil, plant bushes next to farmland for birds...
Nature will never return to its original state. However, if we act, we can pass it on to our children in a much better condition."

In France, Switzerland, and the Netherlands, Henri Blommers photographed elements (trees, plants, rocks, streams, and bodies of water, etc.) in landscapes where, without being visible, industry and intensive agriculture have profoundly disrupted ecosystems. He took samples from streams that may contain toxic components. He cooked the film in decoctions of plants found at the shooting location, invasive plants, or plants whose growth is favored by climate change, such as blackberries and nettles.
To make the danger visible, he sprayed the developed film with chemicals as common as car antifreeze, weed killer, and lawn fertilizer.