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One of the significant challenges faced by our globe is the collective lack of proper waste management. According to the World Health Organisation, solid waste generation, which stood at 2.1 billion tonnes in 2023, will reach 3.8 billion tonnes by 2050. Furthermore, a large amount of this waste is also sent to countries like Türkiye, India, Pakistan, as well as Ghana. To showcase the rising environmental concern and its impact on the world, artist Fabrice Monteiro created striking photographs, which are now part of an exhibition at MAGNIN-A gallery in Paris, France.
The images are by Fabrice Monteiro, courtesy of the MAGNIN-A gallery. Used with permission.
Titled The Prophecy, the surreal images showcase the spirits living in our world’s ravaged landscapes. From the trash in Dakar to the toxic oil slicks in the sea to the endangered ecology of the Great Barrier Reef—Monteiro uses these spirits to urge viewers to take action.
Monteiro’s work was inspired by the ecological crisis in Senegal in 2013, where he first saw the impact of globalization. The advanced countries often send their waste to third-world nations for recycling. The United States is one of the largest contributors of waste, but it continues to struggle with proper management. In fact, they are one of the countries that continue to export plastic waste to poorer nations. Monteiro’s exhibition uses spirits, which are represented as Djinns, to showcase their rage and pain as a response to the annihilation of Mother Nature. The haunting figures stay with you, and Monteiro uses animism with ecology to showcase our strained relationship with our environment.
We need to find a new way of being in the world. This way of exploiting and torturing nature
in the name of sacrosanct growth is no longer possible. The world is exhausted. We need to
heed the call of the spirits and gauge the urgency of this challenge, which goes to the essential. Let’s dare to reinvent ourselves.
The outfits in the exhibition are a result of Monteiro’s fashion background. The light, poses, and design are created with intricacy to draw your attention to how we are harming our ecosystem. Furthermore, the costumes are not created to draw your attention; instead, they lead to questioning and reflecting on our choices, especially those who are unaware of the consequences. The exhibition also includes an installation of a costume from Procephy 14 that depicts a spirit performing an avian dance on Texas’ arid land. There will also be a documentary that depicts how Monteiro brought the vision to life and the cultural significance of the clothing.
By visiting the exhibition, you will learn how our world needs an anti-colonial approach to environmental conservation, which not only makes the land a liveable place for future generations but also respects our cultures and traditions. Monteiro’s photographs have been created following extensive research on local environmental issues, which means you will learn about each region’s various ecological challenges. Considering how consumerism and capitalism drive a sword through nature’s heart, we need more projects like these that reveal how humans are deeply connected with nature.
Thus, Monterio’s exhibition reminds us that every action can lead to a change in perception, and when that happens, we may finally save our collective future.
The Prophecy exhibition will ends on December 21, 2024. For more information, visit the gallery’s website.