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Right: Dromedary caravan in the dunes near Nouakchott,
Mauritania, as shown in the exhibition catalogue. Above: The exhibition
at Raoul Wallenbergs torg in Stockholm.
20%
of the world's population lacks access to improved water supplies
Half of humanity lives on less than $2
per day
Total world military expenditure: $798 billion
Total public development assistance: $53 billion
20%
of human beings consume 60%
of the commercial energy
We see the ever-widening gulf between the developed
and undeveloped semi-spheres of our globe. And we know, instinctively,
that the world can be shifted, both economically and spiritually, from
where we are now.
Exhibition organized for the Nordic countries by Stine
Norden and Søren Rud, Fotoselskabet Jorden, København, Denmark
Sponsored in Sweden by Grand Hõtel Holdings, Institut
Français de Stockholm, Bang & Olufsen and Forlaget Jorden
Yann Arthus-Bertrands photographs arrive
in Stockholm and Oslo and remind us of our obligation to our fellow
world citizens
by Jack Yan
Photographs of the exhibition in Stockholm by the
author
ANN ARTHUS-BERTRANDS
famous 'Earth from Above' exhibition arrived in the Nordic countries
with a display in the centre of Stockholm on June 1.
Scheduled to remain at Raoul Wallenbergs Torg
till August 31, the exhibition is also being shown at Oslo (until
the same date) and will make it to Bergen, Gõteborg and Reykavik,
as well as several Danish cities, in 2003.
The exhibition is worth the walk to the Stockholm
waterfront not just for nature loversArthus-Bertrand is amongst
that group himselfbut for those interested in seeing how a
great proportion of this planet's population lives. Arthus-Bertrand
photographed slums in South America, tiny towns in the Philippines,
rug-makers in the Middle East, crowds on the Ivory Coast; on witnessing
the images, one is reminded that people globally share the same
emotions and passionsbut the context in which we do so varies
far too much.
Perhaps we should not value the material aspects
of life in the occident and Arthus-Bertrand's photos remind us of
that. But at the same time, most of us cannot easily imagine going
without them. We see the ever-widening gulf between the "developed"
and "undeveloped" semi-spheres of our globe. And we know,
instinctively, that the world can be shifted, both economically
and spiritually, from where we are now.
Arthus-Bertrand's work is moving and impactful;
never mind the technical aspects of the Canon equipment and Fuji
film, detailed in the catalogue. This is an exhibition that reminds
us of our lives and our place in the world, merely a speck through
the lens of Arthus-Bertrand, yet with the ability to know injustice
and possess a desire to be one with others, regardless of location.
The internet generation is only the beginning of such a shift.
Anne Jankeliowitch at the coordination office
for 'Earth from Above' (La Terre vue du Ciel) provides some disturbing
statistics: since 1950, the world's population has doubled, while
oil consumption has multiplied sevenfold. Since 1900, freshwater
consumption has multiplied by six, yet 20 per cent of our fellow
citizens do not have drinkable water, 40 per cent lacks access to
improved sanitation, 40 per cent is without electricity and 826
million people are underfed. In another 50 years, we'll be joined
by another three billion people. If that doesn't upset our current
balance, then we are living in a dream world for now and will receive
a rude awakening in a decade or so.
Where, practically, may we start, given that not
all of us are active in shaping public policy or politics? Arthus-Bertrand's
photos illustrate the ecology of our planet and we must conclude,
when we see these untouched images through our own eyes, that our
way of life and our consumption patterns are not sustainable over
the long term. It is not only our children or grandchildren we need
to be concerned about, but fellow human beings on this planet right
now. So individual change in the way we live and what we valuehonour,
not possessions; caring, not money; responsibility, not powercan
bring about the sustainable development that we should pursue.
Sustainable development is a lesson we forgot
in the twentieth century. The faces that appear,
the natural majesty that has formed, and the ability of the individual
to make a change all surface inspirationally from each image.
Jack Yan
Jack Yan, based in Stockholm in summer 2002,
is founding publisher of Lucire.