Ground Works

Maciej Salamon & Maciej Chodziński

GROUND WORKS, 2014

Whilst mindful of the natural environment, the artists adopt a contrarian stance on land art, and embark on a plan for bio-euthanasia. The burning of forests, the concreting over of meadows and the various other techniques that the authors propose to implement as part of their Eco-War are intended to speed up climate warming and the evaporation of the atmosphere in order to restore the primaeval, rocky surface of the planet. In the final part of the project, the surface of the soil will be covered in salt and concreted over in order to prevent the re-growth of plants so as to achieve a smooth surface that would efficiently cover up the shameful past of this wanton planet.
The actions, usually focused on remote areas, far from city centres, are, in fact, an apparent interference with the natural environment; not only do they draw attention to how mankind is engaged in the absurd destruction of nature but they also represent a shot across the bows of radical eco-warriors and their utopian actions.