Berms, acting as low-level sediment barriers, are currently constructed to restore the sinuosity of the River Lea in East London1. This endeavour, undertaken by a group of aquatic gardeners, aims to re-meander the river, which lost its complexity due to centuries of industrialisation and urbanisation.
The project envisions and poetically explores the emerging ecologies around these repair structures, delving into the roles of non-human entities in facilitating the river's recovery. The narrative unfolds through the cinematic storytelling lens of The Settler, a fictional aquatic creature. Through this perspective, the project offers insights into the ecological disruptions caused by industrial and urban infrastructures, along with the new "niches" created by the intervention of aquatic gardeners. The video prompts a critical examination of the anthropogenic origins of degraded ecologies and the ongoing struggles for their repair.
As new interventions combat the consequences of pollution and simplified river flow, the project unravels connections between alterations in the river, human interventions, and the unwitting roles played by non-human entities in this unfolding narrative.
The Settler is a stark reminder that humans and non-humans make up each other, influenced by the insights of James E. Lovelock and biologist Lynn Margulis's Gaia Theory2, highlighting the intricate interweaving of Earth's ecosystem with living entities.
Furthermore, taking inspiration from the history of underwater videography as stated by Massimiliano Gaudiosi in Marey’s Aquarium: The Underwater World and The Archaeology of Cinema3, the project immerses visitors in a world that transcends the human realm. It plays with the potential of underwater videography, as described by Gaudiosi, to "sink" visitors into an immersive dimension.
References:
1 Hackney Council. (2022, April 8). Project to rewild River Lea begins. Retrieved December 12, 2022, from https://news.hackney.gov.uk/project-to-rewild-river-lea-begins/ 2 Margulis, L. (1998). The Symbiotic Planet: A New Look at Evolution. Basic Books. 3 Massimiliano Gaudiosi, Marey’s Aquarium: The Underwater World and The Archaeology of Cinema in Abberley, W. (2018). Underwater Worlds: Submerged Visions in science and culture. Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
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