Photography by Gerco de Ruijter
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North Palisade. Sierra Nevada, California.
EMERY MOUNTAINS
April 2024, FRIEZE No. 9 Cork Street Gallery, London
EXHIBITION: The Mountains Between Us, FRIEZE No 9 Cork St
Weaving together photography, video and sculptural objects, lena_c_emery highlights the accelerated loss of mountain glaciers and the desperate conservation efforts currently employed to impede their decline. Under the continued influence of greenhouse-gas forced global warming, ice that took centuries to develop is vanishing in just a number of years. A fate experts predict for at least two-thirds of all glaciers by the end of this century. EMERY: In ‘The Mountains Between Us’, I capture the current environmental efforts undertaken to reduce the rate at which glaciers melt. Glaciers have held space for centuries, silently bearing witness to history. They’ve seen the world change in ways we can barely comprehend. Because my grandfather spent his life in these mountains, watching this particular glacier retreat and form lakes where there was previously only ice and at a pace that’s steadily increasing, feels deeply personal. The idea of covering these mammoths in fabric to stall the inevitable, feels both tragic and emblematic of our relationship with nature: The magnitude of loss countered by gestures that, though earnest, feel powerless. Visually these wrapped peaks evoke images of muddied tents, makeshift shelters that we’ve come to erect for those displaced by upheaval. This fragility, their fragility, our fragility, is a direct reflection of the imbalance we have sown, where those least responsible for ecological destruction are forced to bear its heaviest burdens. The title became a way to frame those divides. Mountains have always symbolised barriers, but perhaps they could also be reimagined as thread, shared histories and a collective belonging. The elemental particles composing our very being once danced amidst these ancient landscapes and if they disappear, part of us does too.
Combat Swimmers German Special Forces
Nossa Senhora da Graça Fort
The Nossa Senhora da Graça Fort is an eighteenth century fort in the village of Alcáçova, Portugal. Its prominent position atop Monte da Graça (Hill of Grace) made it an important stronghold during the Seven Years’ War, War of the Oranges and the Peninsular War. The fort is part of the Garrison Border Town of Elvas and its Fortifications, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
38.894444°, -7.164167°
The Honey Hunters Of Nepal
Nepal is home to the Apis Laboriosa, the biggest honey bee on the planet, and honey hunting plays a significant role in the local way of life. The bees build their hives on the cliffs of the country's foothills, which adds complexity to the honey hunting process. Local honey hunters use rope ladders and baskets to access the combs after driving the bees away with smoke from a fire underneath the hives. They carefully collect the honey treasure from the combs while dealing with territorial bees. The harvesting occurs once a year and begins with a harvest ritual that varies across towns, often starting with a prayer and the offering of flowers, rice, and fruits.
This unique aspect of Nepali culture is captivating, and tourists have the opportunity to witness the bravery of the honey hunters, explore the fascination of the Nepali landscape, and admire the intricate homes of the honey bees.
Lake Rotsee Refuge by AFGH Architekten firm
Marble Caves at General Carrera Lake in Patagonia
The Marble Caves, known as Marble Chapel and Marble Cathedral, are located at the center of the lake and were formed by waves over the past 6,000 years.
Andreas Fuhrimann Gabrielle Hächler - Zielturm Rotsee, Rotsee Luzern
Lake Louise, Banff national park, 2014
Cacoon Hanging Chair
The Cacoon Hanging Chair is constructed with robust engineering to support a weight of up to 200kg or 440lbs. This product was designed in the UK by the collaborative effort of Nick and Sarah, a husband and wife team.
Giovanni Pesamosca’s Alpine Cabin in Friuli, Italy
Aerial view of the Lagos fair ground designed and constructed by Energoprojekt, (Yugoslavia), completed 1976-77.
Intha Fisherman on Inle Lake, Burma, 2011
Martian Sunset
On May 19, 2005, NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit captured this stunning view as the Sun sank below the rim of Gusev crater on Mars. This Panoramic Camera mosaic was taken around 6:07 in the evening of the rover's 489th Martian day, or sol.
Sunset and twilight images are occasionally acquired by the science team to determine how high into the atmosphere the Martian dust extends, and to look for dust or ice clouds. Other images have shown that the twilight glow remains visible, but increasingly fainter, for up to two hours before sunrise or after sunset. The long Martian twilight (compared to Earth's) is caused by sunlight scattered around to the night side of the planet by abundant high altitude dust. Similar long twilights or extra-colorful sunrises and sunsets sometimes occur on Earth when tiny dust grains that are erupted from powerful volcanoes scatter light high in the atmosphere.
A Mitten Butte and Merrick Butte seen from the View Hotel, Monument Valley Tribal Park
Rainbow mountains at Zhangye Danxia national geopark Gansu China
"Wendover II (For John)" by Barry Underwood
Desert Mountains Aerial View 012
Rhyolithberge, Region Landmannalaugar, Fjallabak Naturreservat, Isländisches Hochland, Island
Star Magnolia — Magnolia stellata Macro
Alex Honnold climbing on Separate Reality, a difficult over hanging roof crack in Yosemite National Park, California
Rhône Glacier Ice Grotto, Valais, Switzerland
Amy Ross — "Brother Wolf" at Steven Zevitas Gallery
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