Initially involved in animal rights activism allowed me to have the favourable circumstances to finding out about many environmental issues that were currently happening around London. The one that captured my attention the most was the destructive construction of High Speed Railway 2.
More about the events that led to my interest for this situation can be read here (Grow Heathrow).
ANDY GOLDSWORTHY (1956, British)
-
sculptor, photographer and environmentalist;
-
site-specific sculpture and land art situated in natural and urban settings;
-
installations with mud, twigs, snow and colourful leaves and flowers;
-
"Movement, change, light, growth and decay are the life-blood of nature,
the energies that I try to tap through my work."; -
Movies about his art - Rivers and Tides, Leaning into the Wind.
-
Exposes consumeristic Culture;
-
combines photography with technology and digital tools;
-
"slow-motion apocalypse";
-
reminds us how easily we destroy our environment and our planet.
RED EARTH ENVIRONMENTAL ART GROUP
-
site-specific work;
-
interaction with the landscape;
-
performance, installations and participatory events;
-
collaboration with geologists, activists, archaeologists;
-
led by Caitlin Easterby and Simon Pascoe.
-
mixing textile and environment;
-
sustainability and vulnerability;
-
highly coloured;
-
public space and art;
-
environment-related issues.
RESEARCH
Definition of High Speed Railway
A high-speed train is generally defined as one which operates at speeds of over or at 200 km/h (124mph), with a high level of service, and generally comprising multi-powered elements.
HS1 – London - Paris
The first purpose-built high-speed rail line in Britain is the “Channel Tunnel” Rail Link. It’s first section opened for the public in 2003 and the second one in 2007.
The line was finished in time and under the budget, however it has provoked discussion in the national media and specialist email circles on the merits of constructing further high-speed lines.
The cost of the construction was £11 billion. At £80 million per mile, this was higher than other projects in other countries; the French high-speed line from Paris to Strasbourg, completed in 2007, cost £22 million per mile.
HS2 – London - Birmingham
A second purpose-built high-speed line is now planned by the British government, which will connect London with Birmingham, and at a later phase the cities in northern England (including Manchester, Sheffield and Leeds).
The line is to be built in a “Y” configuration with London on the bottom of “Y”, Birmingham at the centre, Leeds at the top right and Manchester at the top left.
Work on Phase 1 began in 2017, with planned first services in 2026. Phase 2a, the left leg of “Y”, due to start services in 2027, with the remaining Phase by 2033.
Journey time London -Birmingham
with HS2 – 0:49
before HS2
– 1:24 (Standard) ; 1:13 (Fastest)
The Royal Assent has been granted on 33RD February 2017 for London to Birmingham High-Speed Rail construction. This gives HS2 Ltd the right to cut down any trees, for which they otherwise had to get the local authority’s permission.
The Royal Assent has been granted on 33RD February 2017 for London to Birmingham High-Speed Rail construction. This gives HS2 Ltd the right to cut down any trees, for which they otherwise had to get the local authority’s permission.
From the Woodland Trust:
HS2 Ltd preparation for the Hybrid Bill includes error after error: flawed calculations and methods that go against Government guidance in its vain attempts to justify loss and damage to 63 ancient woods along the first phase of the route. If these errors are left uncorrected, not only will HS2’s vision to build the line “seeking to avoid significant adverse effects on… the natural, historic and built environment” be impossible, but dangerous precedents could be set for the way ancient woodland is treated in all future development decisions, including housing, road and further vail plans, UK-wide.
-
HS2 Ltd will never achieve its promise of “no net loss of biodiversity” if ancient woodland is lost or damaged and the published No Net Loss in Biodiversity Calculation clearly shows that Phase 1 does not achieve this. However, HS2 has manipulated calculations to try and prove otherwise.
-
HS2 Ltd is likely to cease to exist following line construction (as HS1 did following the construction of the Channel Tunnel Rail link) but no legal binding promises have been made in relation to environmental work so far – only “assurances”.
HS2 – Euston Station
Euston is an existing railway terminus station on Euston Road in the London Borough of Camden, managed by Network Rail.
It has been chosen as the station where HS2 trains will begin and terminate their journeys. 11 new platforms will be added to the existing construction. This means serious disruptions in nearby businesses and that hundred of homes will be demolished.
High Speed 2 will cut down almost all the trees around the station:
-
53 in Euston Square Gardens
-
all in St. James Gardens – the whole 3 acre park gone and sixty thousand bodies exhumed
-
all from the Cardington Street, Eversholt Street, Hampstead Road and Euston Road.
Massive protests have been taking place in the area since the proposal of the project.
Several “yarn bombings” directed the public attention to the trees that will be cut down and no longer contribute to cleaning the air pollution that has already reached an alerting level in the area. The hand-crafted scarves tied around each tree comes to remind symbolically that HS2 construction will force citizens to keep their windows shut for the next 17 years and that it will no longer be same for children to play in this area.
HS2 – Colne Valley
Colne Valley is a 27500 acre of parks, green spaces and reservoirs alongside the often multi-channel River Colne and parallel Grand Union Canal, mainly in Buckinghamshire, with parts in the London Borough of Hillingdon, Berkshire and Hertfordshire and a small area in Surrey. It contains a mixture of farmland, woodland and water (80 km of river, canal and over 40 lakes that help regulate the flow of the major Thames’ tributary. The park is a regionally important place of recreation and is internationally important for wildlife. The reservoirs support nationally important wintering populations of tufted ducks, pochard, goosander and goldeneye.
The park includes Denham County Park, which is local Nature Reserve and Frays Farm Meadows with Denham Lock Wood, which are sites of special scientific interest managed as nature reserves by the London Wildlife Trust.
The Colne Valley is an important wetland eco-system which will be destabilised by the massive development of HS2.
Key “Eco-Warriors” / Protesters at the Colne Valley that I have met
-
Donnie Vortex
-
Petra Rakkocczii
-
Adam Reginald Rayner
-
Daniel T Gardonyi
-
Sarah Green
-
Graham Marsh
-
Sofia “Black Cat” Kazi
What they have done to protest
-
Set up a campsite near the construction
-
Took photos and videos updating on the current situation
-
Slept beneath diggers
-
Chained themselves to trees
-
Climbed on cranes
-
Laid/Sat/Stood in the way of the construction machines etc.
Artistic Manifestations of the Protest
-
The “White Elephant”
-
Malc Barnard’s informative video collages
-
“Grim Green Reaper” by Dan Llywelyn Hall (mentioned earlier: HS2 - Euston Station)
Useful Links
-
FB Groups: Victims of HS2, Artists against HS2, The truth behind HS2, StopHS2
-
@stop.hs2 @savecolnevalley @DenhamAgainstHS2
The character creation had sprouted during the Samhain (Celtic Halloween) Labyrinth Ritual in Avesbury, UK. In the dark of the night, wearing a long pale dress and dancing to the rhythms of the drums, I felt how the enchantment and transic atmosphere was growing and influencing those around me.
While I was jumping and dancing around the group walking towards the second ritual – The walk of the Dead, a man said that the land regains its magical power when someone dances on it and that we have long forgotten about this. This thought lead to the idea of organising a performance on the land that needs to recharge and have strength to oppose to those that try to destroy it, in Colne Valley.
During Halloween costumes are worn to scare away demonic spirits. The tradition to disguise as someone else for this pagan celebration has been followed for a long time. Researching this matter further has lead me to the idea that the character I was creating must have a costume that will symbolise nature and must visually remind that Humankind is a part of it.
For Samhain I had my hair painted red with henna.
Later, this reminded me of the fictional supervillain – Poison Ivy.
According to her story, she was a Gotham City botanist obsessed with plants, ecological extinction and environmentalism. Being one of the world’s most notorious eco-terrorist, she uses plant toxins and mind-controlling pheromones for her criminal activities, which are usually aimed at protecting endangered species and the natural environment.
Inspired further by her look, I have crafted a green outfit made up of a corset adorned with hand-made poison ivy leaves and a translucent detachable skirt.
Enneka, the name of the fictional character, is a stylised anagram of my first name – Nicoleta.
Photo-shooting Performance Ritual
New Moon, 18th November 2017, 8C - Constant drizzle and rain
Part of the self-initiated Project Enneka
- #1 - Stop HS2 - "Forewarn Quest"
Inspired by Jung's reflection regarding the nature surrounding us and that we are mirroring ourselves through it, Enneka comes to bring awareness to contemporary destructive behaviour of humankind towards nature.
This particular creation reaches to STOP HS2 and to Save the Colne Valley by photo-documenting a dance ritual performed by Enneka to signify the importance of the Colne Valley Park's nature (front of image) in contrast with the ruins caused by unnecessary construction of the high-speed railway 2 (background).
Photographer: Daniel Noguera, student in the 2nd year of Film and Television course at London University of Arts
Concept, Costume Creation, Character Presentation, Model and Photo Editing: Nicoleta Faina.
Self applied body painting and henna drawings on my hands.
The photos were posted on Enneka’s Facebook page with this message:
“The High-Speed Railway 2 is an unwanted, useless and expensive project that is happening by means of major corruption and benefits only the rich. It is being built through British ancient woodlands, nature reserves, lakes, homes and wildlife sites, involving killing animals such as bats, newts, otters, water voles, dragonflies, glow worms, butterflies, amphibians and birds.
If you want to help us Save the Colne Valley, first inform yourself and become aware of this situation. Empowered by knowledge decide whether you will keep your eyes shut and voice down to these illegalities that are being made with your help as well (being a taxpayer) or will Stand Up and Fight against something that you believe is wrong!
Visit The Protectors Camp and assess the situation with your own eyes. The eco-warriors and concerned local residents will welcome you and will be happy to share a cup of hot tea and have a good conversation with you, where you'll be able to find more about HS2 and find ways you could support the cause. (Address: Harvil Road, Harefield UB9 6JW, Colne Valley, Uxbridge.)
Sending love and gratitude to those that are already in our lines and greeting the ones who have just found out about this.
We can Stop HS2 together! ️
Love for Nature is in our Nature.”
Part of the self-initiated Project Enneka
- #2 - Stop HS2 - "Endangered Wildlife"
The High-Speed Railway 2 is being built through British ancient woodlands, nature reserves, lakes, homes and wildlife sites, involving killing animals such as bats, newts, otters, water voles, dragonflies, glow worms, butterflies, amphibians and birds.
This part of the creation represents an extensive collection of photography designed to inform and urge a change. The images record the beautiful nature that will cease to exist and offer a better understanding of what is happening today at the construction site.
Photography by Nicoleta Faina.
The photoset is free and open to the public.
Complete Photo Collection Here: Facebook Page / Flickr.
Coming Soon...
Coming Soon...
Coming Soon...
Coming Soon...
Coming Soon...
Coming Soon...
Mead Fellowship application:
