London photo exhibition turns toxic pollution into art

An unconventional photography exhibition here has turned toxic pollution into art to raise awareness about the British capital’s persistent air-quality problems.

Visual artists and scientists have teamed up for the exhibition, titled “What On Earth”, which explores the climate crisis through 26 artworks, running until July 24.

Exhibits include ethereal images on delicate dark blue paper with splashes of white that evoke pristine oceans but show the contamination of London’s air.

They were produced using air samples provided by scientists at Imperial College London.

The samples were then captured and printed using cyanotype, a traditional method of producing images from light that enables sunlight to reveal toxic particles.

The Crown Estate, which manages property owned by Queen Elizabeth 2, gave The Koppel Project, the arts charity behind the show, a disused retail unit rentfree for a year in sought-after central London.

The deal was in exchange for establishing an artistic community and getting a discussion under way, said curator Ellen Taylor.

“The goal was to address social and political issues we see in the news to create a conversation,” she said.

“I’m hoping this show can demonstrate how nature can be the subject of photography, using air pollution and sound to document how our environment is changing.”

Pollution levels plummeted across the world last year as people stayed at home during coronavirus lockdowns but have picked up as restrictions ease and more people avoid public transport. Air pollution can create and exacerbate cardiovascular diseases and asthma and has been linked with cognitive diseases like dementia.