Xposure 2018 at Heart and Soul of Environmental Fight

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The third edition of Xposure International Photography Festival, under way at Expo Centre Sharjah, on Thursday, turned its focus on the environment, with an Auditorium session entitled ‘Life and Death of the Forest.’ Taking part in the session were two important talents, Dr Wang Preston and Katarina Premfors, who shared the stories behind their most recent works. Photographer Rob Taggart moderated the session.

A British-Chinese artist, Preston’s work focuses on landscape photography and how it can reveal hidden complexities. Describing herself as an, “artist who uses photography,” Preston is hoping to promote awareness and inspire action through her work by illustrating the “hidden abuse” that is taking place in the city of Chongqing.

While city officials have been planting trees for more than a decade in a bid to create a forest city, real concern regarding the origin of these trees has also been unearthed. “The whole concept of trying to be green is being abused,” she said.

In a similar vein, Premfors brought attention to the clearing of Indonesia’s rainforests and peatlands, primarily for the production of palm oil, pulp and paper. Accounting for more than 85% of the country’s greenhouse gases, Indonesia is now the world’s third-largest producer of greenhouse gases behind China and the US. In 2015, Premfors went to Indonesia with Greenpeace to take a closer look at how deforestation was impacting the community and how its citizens are desperately trying to rebuild it.

Showcasing images of Chongqing to the audience, Preston explained how her focus on China’s environmental concerns grew from her natural desire to understand how so many old, well-established trees were appearing in relatively new areas in the city. Where had these trees come from? What had become of the place they once called home? And, perhaps more critically, would they survive in their new habitat?

Looking to find answers to these questions, Preston found one area where trees had been chopped down. They had not been completely chopped down, however. “They were trees without arms. Their arms had been chopped off,” she says. “The stumps were painted red, as if they were bleeding.”

But to develop Chongqing quickly, established trees were required; they did not have enough time for them to develop naturally.

Preston told the story of a tree named Frank. It was 300 years old and the only tree that Preston managed to photograph before it was moved.

In this particular village where Frank stood, they were starting to demolish all of the houses in order to move the community to another location. Just three months later everything in the village had gone, including Frank. He had been sold to another part of the country that required more established, grown-up trees. Preston eventually found Frank in a building site where a five-star hotel was being built. Frank died just four years later.

Preston’s photographs portray a village that had its land destroyed by illegal logging, but thanks to an independent smallholder project that delivers social and economic benefits, as well as protects the remaining forests, positive change can be seen.

“People here have a very deep connection with the nature around them,” she says. “They have a harmony with their surroundings that really struck me.” It is this connection that will see them enjoying a fruitful future.

Both Preston and Premfors are exhibiting their work at Xposure 2018, which is hosted by the Sharjah Government Media Bureau and runs until Saturday, November 24.