“Initially, you are drawn to the beauty of the scene” says Ingrid Weyland. “Only afterwards, are you able to understand its vulnerable character.”
The Argentine-born artist and photographer employs a unique technique in her work: she applies crumpled images on top of her photographs to highlight the impact man has on nature.
Ingrid recently travelled to Northern Argentina to capture the natural surroundings of the Atlantic Rainforest where Awasi Iguazu is located.
Ingrid captures the iconic red soil surrounding the Iguazu Falls
“I mean for the viewer to be challenged by my work. It requires an active participation, needs more than one viewing.” – says Ingrid in a takeover she did for Aesthetica Magazine using her images from Iguazu.
So, how did Ingrid come up with her individual way of producing photographs?
“I had some images that had been printed in poor quality,” she explains, “so I crumpled them in frustration and tossed them in the bin. I then felt bad, so I went over to the bin and took the prints out again.”
This was the beginning of what would become a defining part of her work: playing with crumpled images, moulding them and placing them on top of the original photograph, and re-photographing the scene.
There has been much deforestation in the area, more so on the Brazilian side than the Argentine, but on both sides the biodiversity is delicate.
Our commitment to sustainability drove us to make Awasi a Carbon Neutral experience. We protect 340 hectares of native woodland in Iguazú and Patagonia. These areas absorb over 10,000 tonnes of CO2 per year, a greater amount than the emissions generated by our three lodges, and the travel footprint of our guests.
We also work to conserve the surrounding ecosystems. For example, reintroducing native species and implementing concrete social initiatives such as workshops for local children to encourage protecting the surrounding environment.
We were drawn to Ingrid’s use of art to encourage people question the status quo.
During her stay at Awasi Iguazu, Ingrid spent the days photographing the contrasting natural surroundings.
“My intention is to highlight the beauty and man-made ravage at the same time, intertwined, in my desire for the preservation of the little which remains untouched and therefore the desperate need to protect our natural world.”
Ingrid says her background as a graphic designer “helps a lot with aesthetics”. Back in 2019, she first started manipulating paper.
“The idea of paper kept floating around in my brain,” she says. “The inspiration came from looking at the multifaceted surface of an iceberg. I suddenly thought it looks like crumpled paper. I like that people have to look it and find out and it takes two different readings rather than it jumping out in your face straight away. Crumpling the image is violent, but it serves to draw attention to a place of natural beauty.”
Iguazu is famous for its waterfalls, but few people are aware of the precious biodiversity of the Misiones region.
“A crumpled piece of paper can never regain its original shape; the trace persists. In the same way, nature which is disrespectfully invaded is forever broken, and many times unrecoverable.”
Ingrid has a love for cold climates, Iceland is a country that keeps pulling her back. “I prefer the darker shades, not the bright blues but rather the depth of greys,” she says.
Up in Iguazu her colour palette is mainly the green of the Atlantic Rainforest contrasted against a cloudy sky.
“I enjoyed being in an area which is protected and where sustainability is valued,” says Ingrid who never shies from witnessing the magnificence of nature but also thinking about its vulnerability.
“I started to work on enacting physically violent gestures on my printed landscape images, twisting and reshaping them until they became something utterly different,” explains the artist. “In between trying alternate ways of crumpled imageries, I lay them on top of the same photographic vista, and rephotograph.”
The region of Misiones is a biodiversity hotspot home to endemic species of flora and fauna.
“It’s amazing to notice that paper resists at first, it fights back, it does not want to be destroyed, but at last, it has to give in …”
Ultimately, Ingrid raises a question through her art:
“Can art have a substantial role in raising awareness of the critical moment we’re in?”
“Yes,” she says. “I believe it can.”
Ingrid Weyland is widely recognised for her work which provides beauty, but also challenges the viewer. Her awards and accolades include: Ashurst Emerging Artist Photography Prize 2021; Rhonda Wilson Award 2021; Klompching Fresh 2021
and Lens Culture Critics Choice 2021.
One of the 14 villas at Awasi Iguazu. Photo: João Canziani
Awasi Iguazu is a Relais & Chateaux hotel in Northern Argentina, just 15 minutes from the Iguazu Falls. The lodge has just 14 rooms and the focus is on providing the very best accommodation, gastronomy and excursions. Each room (at all three Awasi properties) is given a personal 4×4 vehicle and private guide for the duration of each stay. This means excursions are private and based around each guest’s individual requirements.