Water Pantanal Fire, a new photo exhibition in London’s Science Museum, is a bleak and sobering experience
Tucked away in the heart of the Science Museum is a door with a notice that reads: “Please note that Water Pantanal Fire features some content, including imagery of dead animals, that some visitors might find challenging.”
Push through those doors, and you find yourself immersed in photographs urging you to reflect on the troubling state of our world today.
Water Pantanal Fire is a photograph series from Brazilian photographers Lalo de Almeida and Luciano Candisani depicting the rich and biodiverse Pantanal, the largest wetland in the world, located mostly in Brazil. Also one of the world’s largest freshwater wetland ecosystems, the Pantanal is home to around 650 species of birds, 80 species of mammals, 50 species of reptiles and 300 species of fish.
However, in the last few years, the Pantanal has suffered a relentless onslaught of droughts and wildfires, with scientists declaring a climate emergency.
This urgency is tangible in the exhibition. Visitors are surrounded by apocalyptic stills of fire and destruction, from scorched swathes of land to blazes consuming everything in their wake. Most visceral are the images of animals suffering as a result of human carelessness. One shot of a monkey’s charred body, caught by flames while trying to crawl away, is particularly devastating.
The ominous music playing overheard while visitors shuffle around in stunned silence adds to the exhibition’s sense of doom.
“Visitors are surrounded by apocalyptic stills of fire and destruction”
De Almeida’s photographs of destruction and death contrast Candisani’s images, which burst with life, showcasing the rich biodiversity of the Pantanal that can still be saved. Luscious underwater shots provide relief from the flames, while a soundscape of twittering birds and croaking amphibians remind us whose lives are at stake.
De Almeida also spotlights the humans behind the firefighting efforts, whose silhouettes are dwarfed by the flames they are trying to extinguish.
While there has been a drive in recent years to protect parts of the Pantanal, factors beyond human control like changing winds and droughts continue to stand in the way.
Water Pantanal Fire sparks a desire to do more to save the planet, but begs the question: what can we really do? Donating a few quid to a relief fund feels inconsequential. These photos could have the power to mobilise change, but the people who really need to see them won’t.