A map of an area of West London is overlaid with a geometric shadow marking a huge Heathrow airport expansion scheme. This cartographic haemorrhage over an otherwise unremarkable community inspires a curiosity to survey the effects of living in the shadow of this malignant threat.
Walking through areas earmarked for demolition heightens sensory awareness and fosters a sense of detachment from the nearby vortex. This landscape is highly politicised, and reflects the complicated nature of the tensions between global economics, communities rich in local history and the natural world. Everything is connected, and no more visibly than here.
An oblique view opens up possibilities of interpretation – a space where testimonies of the past can be traced and where the war on climate change is being fought by protestors armed with drones. Meanwhile, a socially engaged group occupying a disused garden centre set up a sustainable living space within the proposed perimeter of the new runway. From within the compound, the contrasts between life on the ground and in the air, and the enormity of the task in opposing this threat are profound.
The possibilities of expansion blight the area, but communities are brought together in solidarity and opposition. Air quality deteriorates with each lift-off. Planes are delayed due to melting tarmac, but does anyone in check-in see the irony? The locals know that when you can smell aviation fuel on your furniture, it’s time to act.
I produced a limited run of self-published newspapers which contains a verbatim transcript of a meeting between the owners of the airport and local community representatives. Parts of the dialogue are redacted at regular intervals to signify aircraft accelerating down the north runway, drowning out community voices.
Please contact me if you would like a copy.
© djnorwood 2019
Walking through areas earmarked for demolition heightens sensory awareness and fosters a sense of detachment from the nearby vortex. This landscape is highly politicised, and reflects the complicated nature of the tensions between global economics, communities rich in local history and the natural world. Everything is connected, and no more visibly than here.
An oblique view opens up possibilities of interpretation – a space where testimonies of the past can be traced and where the war on climate change is being fought by protestors armed with drones. Meanwhile, a socially engaged group occupying a disused garden centre set up a sustainable living space within the proposed perimeter of the new runway. From within the compound, the contrasts between life on the ground and in the air, and the enormity of the task in opposing this threat are profound.
The possibilities of expansion blight the area, but communities are brought together in solidarity and opposition. Air quality deteriorates with each lift-off. Planes are delayed due to melting tarmac, but does anyone in check-in see the irony? The locals know that when you can smell aviation fuel on your furniture, it’s time to act.
I produced a limited run of self-published newspapers which contains a verbatim transcript of a meeting between the owners of the airport and local community representatives. Parts of the dialogue are redacted at regular intervals to signify aircraft accelerating down the north runway, drowning out community voices.
Please contact me if you would like a copy.
© djnorwood 2019