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RAABJERG, single channel video, stereo, dur. 29:31 min.
Sound by Marijn Ottenhof
RAABJERG takes its outset in the dramatic transition of the landscape of northern Jutland (DK) from the last Ice Age up until present day, due to climatological changes and human resource extraction.
The narrative pivot point is the violent sand drift that manifested itself in the 16th-19th centuries and completely transformed the once fertile landscape into a barren wasteland. Different governments – from kings to elected parliaments – enacted laws to try to reverse it. After 200 years, they succeeded in retransforming the landscape back to a controlled state, especially suited for the touristic needs of the new bourgeoisie. Today, however, the dune landscapes are considered ‘original’, and conservation efforts are now directed at preserving these.
Obviously, any landscape is in a state of constant transition, and these efforts then beg the question: How do you preserve transition?
The film will premiere at the Biennale für Aktuele Fotografie in Mannheim (DE), March 2022.
Supported by Die Biennale für Aktuele Fotografie and Mondriaan Funds.
