Nadia Shira Cohen

About me

In the land of Fires

Exhibitions

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  • Brutto Male, Palazzo delle Arti, NapoliItaly

Description

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In one of Europe's most poisoned landscapes, they are quietly burying the dead in a large, newly built cemetery. Decades of toxic waste dumping and burning have left the region of Campania, Italy so contaminated that people are afraid of drinking the local water or eating regionally grown food. Trapped between the mafia's violence and the government's indifference, the residents of the region abandon themselves to a struggle for their lives against elevated levels of cancer and genetic defects. A once picturesque terrain of Italy, Campania’s beauty could match that of any other Roman soil, which has yielded the highest quality fruits and vegetables for years. In the 1990s the Camorra (mafia) seized on lucrative toxic waste disposal contracts and Campania became the illegal dumping ground for the rich, industrialized North of the country. Highly toxic waste of various types including chemicals, heavy metals, petroleum, and more is buried underground and burned in large quantities; it is hidden in conventional household trash dumps, and in some cases, it has been integrated into the foundation of building structures. The Camorra has become the European leader in illegal toxic waste disposal, generating profits upwards of tens of billions of euroseach year. Although scientific studies by the Italian National Research Council, as well as the American Military and the World Health Organization, have raised serious environmental and health concerns, the Italian Government remains indifferent to the situation.

Land of Fire (3 of 20)
Built by Emiliano Pallini