Ingrid Weyland is an Argentine artist who uses crumpled-up photographs of pristine landscapes, placed in that same landscape to express the fragility of our natural world.

She stayed at the 14 villa Relais & Chateaux Awasi Iguazu for her Awasi Artist Immersion and produced work using images of the rainforest and the spectacular Iguazu Falls.

“Art,” says Weyland, “and its emotional impact can be strong advocates for climate engagement across society.”

Growing up among coloured pencils

Buenos Aires-born Weyland trained as a graphic designer. Raised by her grandparents, a sculptor and an architect, she “grew up among coloured pencils, art, papers, blueprints, inks and clay”, and started taking photography courses a few years after setting up her own design studio.

Working from a small studio in 2019, she was tidying up to make space and came across a pile of discarded prints.

“I loved my landscapes but I finally took one, crumpled it, and threw it into the bin. It felt like a sacrifice” Ingrid explained.

“When I walked over and looked at the creased paper, I realised there was a parallel between my crumpled image, and the way humans treat nature as something disposable; the word ‘paper’ began to vibrate in my head.”

Violent Gestures

Icebergs Ingrid saw during a visit to Greenland reminded her of this crumpled paper. Reflecting on the vulnerability of nature, she began “applying violent gestures to my landscape images.”

“Humans can alter and damage our environment with irreversible consequences. I was looking for a way to convey both beauty and decay at the same time.”

Weyland combined conventional landscape photography with prints that have been violently reshaped – through crushing and crumpling – to create her work Topographies of Fragility.

Her aim is for viewers to “connect their own personal vulnerabilities with the landscapes before their eyes.”

The human touch

After some time working on landscapes and contemplating the consequences of human actions on nature, the next phase of Weyland’s work was to incorporate “actual humans” into her photographs.

“As I began to get to know these fantastic individuals, I felt that I wanted to try and echo their voices. I had so much to learn from them.”

Wetlands

It was the lush greenery of the Atlantic Rainforest that initially captivated the artist on her first stay at Awasi Iguazu, with Ingrid noting dryly that “waterfalls were not my favourite subject to photograph.” However, on her second visit, they made an early morning trip to the falls which made an impression on Ingrid.

“I caught that first glimpse of the powerful waterfalls in the distance, surrounded by heavy mist and an array of greens I had never seen before. It brought tears to my eyes.”

Systems of connection

“The Awasi Artist Immersion enables a deep connection between artists, the local environment, and the local people. It serves as a bridge to raise awareness about environmental issues by provoking deeper thought,” says Weyland.

“Awasi is committed to protecting their natural and cultural heritage through the conservation of their ecosystems, which aligns closely to my work.”

The artist’s interactions with residents who “passionately and actively work in harmony with surrounding nature” gave her “the strength to continue with this project.”

“For me, it goes beyond the resulting image, as each encounter has broadened my knowledge of local concerns and had a great impact on my work.”

 

Ingrid Weyland participated in the Awasi Artist Immersion. She stayed at the 14-villa Relais & Chateaux Awasi Iguazu luxury lodge, located in Northern Argentina by the Iguazu Falls.