In the twentieth century, the emissions from the former zinc factory in Lommel’s Sahara (Belgium) made vegetation completely disappear across several hundred hectares in Lommel, giving way to an arid landscape covered by white sand. In order to avoid the extension of the sandy plains, a new forest of conifers was planted, creating a unique nature reserve. The pines were able to survive through symbiotic coexistence with a fungi, the Suillus Bovinus. Naturally resistant to zinc, it has protected the trees and other reemerging vegetation from ecotoxicity.
Alice Pallot is fascinated by natural phenomena, metamorphoses and silent realities. Her work is immersive and the testimony of spontaneous exploration. It bears witness to the impact that humanity has on his environment today but also aspires to delicately capture the zeitgeist. The (Suillus looking at the sun with closed eyelids II) series, evokes the dark shadow of the imperceptible zinc pollution, which still lingers today in a tense relationship with a reborn nature. This series strives to highlight the contrast between the idyllic appearance of the Sahara and its underlying real toxicity. This rebirth in a regenerated, timeless space and the ensuing communion with it illustrates the hope and resilience inherent in human nature.
This series was initiated during the health crisis period of 2020. Her need for freedom, escape and wild land led her to discover this singular place. Refusing to confine herself to the idea of a disenchanted generation, these pictures tends to carry a message of possible reconstruction and hope.
