View of a Landscape
A portrait of the ENCI quarry in Maastricht.
View of a Landscape is an investigation
into the ENCI quarry in Maastricht, it looks at the human relations as well as
the ecological layers of this former resource. The project emphasizes on the
complex relationship we have with this landscape in particular, but also questions
our human centered way of thinking towards the natural world we
fundamentally are
part of.
Dana’s investigation lead to a multimedia installation consisting out of conducted interviews, archival images, video, botanical material, etc. The installation represents the human as well as the landscape’s perspective: Besides listening to dialogues of people that played a role in the landscape’s transformation, the installation also invites to listen to what the landscape itself has to say.
Dana’s investigation lead to a multimedia installation consisting out of conducted interviews, archival images, video, botanical material, etc. The installation represents the human as well as the landscape’s perspective: Besides listening to dialogues of people that played a role in the landscape’s transformation, the installation also invites to listen to what the landscape itself has to say.
Context
From the extraction of limestone to the so-called conservation of nature, there has always been a distinct bond between the Sint Pietersberg in Maastricht and mankind. In 2018 the extraction of limestone stopped. The cement factory ENCI closed its doors, making the Sint Pietersberg no longer functional as a resource. Now the landscape finds itself in an evolutionary state where people are trying to rediscover their relationship to it. This makes the Sint Pietersberg, or now called ENCI quarry, the perfect case study to investigate the relationship between humankind and nature. After all these years of interference into the landscape, are we, humans, again the ones to choose what is best for the landscape? Or is it more about what benefits us?
1 / The views of mankind
The conducted interviews below were developed as research material. The dialogues aim for a deeper understanding of the human layers embedded in the landscape. The Sint Pietersberg has been interwoven with people for centuries, causing the landscape to be shaped the way it is today. Different people have their own interest in the place. They all feel a sense of ownership over the landscape, making it a complex process of decision making considering the development of the quarry. From the old director of the ENCI cement factory, the biologist active in the area, to the members of an activist group: they all look at the landscape through a different lens.
The debate around the ENCI quarry, and the maintenance of our natural resources in general, does not result in a simple answer. The documentation of the different perspectives illustrates the complex relationship between humans and nature, it aims to spark a conversation about what it means when mankind interferes with a landscap
2 / Ecology
Since the limestone extraction stopped, there is space for nature to inhabit the quarry. From a bare liveles ground, seeds slowly start to settle, plants arise, and life comes back. What is our role as human beings in this new situation where nature starts to take over this anthropized landscape? How do we take part? And what would happen if we would not be part of it at all? To intervene or not is a decision that lays into our hands. Each choice we make comes with different consequences. Right now the nature in the quarry is being regulated. Certain plants are welcomed guests while others are seen as invasive intruders.
