EMBRACING THE VOID

2017
photography and video performance
Warsaw

With the beginning of 2017 a new amendment, commonly known as 'lex Szyszko' ('Szyszko’s law', after Poland’s environment minister name) removed the obligation for private landowners to apply for permission to cut down trees, pay compensation or plant new trees, or even to inform local authorities that trees have been or will be removed.

It is estimated that 3 million trees wave been logged in just a half year, with absolute no control. What is important to know in context of such 'environmental massacre' is that one tree in the city is much more useful for humans in terms of cleaning the air of carbon dioxide and producing oxygen, than the same tree in the forest. 

'Szyszko’s law' was appreciated by development companies, which could not have previously obtained construction consent due to the regulations and necessity of receiving permissions to log.  

I have taken that picture in a park in Powisle neighbourhood where I was living at the time. I am emracing a void over an ash tree I used to hug there.