WORLD UNSEEN EXHIBITION
‘AS FROZEN LAND BURNS’ BY NANNA HEITMANN
A photographer’s journey to the coldest inhabited place on earth, ravaged by wildfires.
WORLD UNSEEN EXHIBITION
A photographer’s journey to the coldest inhabited place on earth, ravaged by wildfires.
In the foreground of this image, the dark trunk of a tree stands, burning. Alone in the foreground on smouldering turf, flames climb from its base. The fire seems to stop part way up the tree, giving way to the blackened bark, before another small oval-shaped fire burns in the centre of the trunk.
The only flames in the image are on this tree. In the background, there are clusters of evergreen trees, untouched by fire, while plumes of smoke rise from the ground. The image has cool, blueish tones, making the flames look out of place in its centre. I took this photograph after sunset, and the main light source comes from the two little fires, dancing on the tree.
The essence of fire becomes clear at dusk: an unrelenting force that forces its way through the trees and eats them from within. A diagonal line of turf moves from left to right in the background. It’s a trench, intended to isolate and contain the fire.
It’s mainly residents of Kürelyakh who fight these fires, with their bare hands, shovels, and small water bags.”