Fake Lake-Fake Desert

Alireza Fani

In this series, I set before you images from two parts of my country:
1- The first 3 images belong to a lake in Kahrizak, located 70 km south of Tehran which has been considered as a landfill for 50 years. 7000 tons of garbage are daily collected from Tehran and transferred to that location, which %30 of it consists of leachates from wet waste. The waste doesn’t get separated from the source and over the years, all these leachates have started to flow and therefore created an acidic lake on an impenetrable ground to the extent of 12 Acres. one can smell the Methane gas from kilometers away.

2- The next images belong to Lake Urmiah, located in northwest of my home country, Iran. At its full size, it was the largest lake in the Middle East and the sixth largest saltwater lake on earth with a surface area of approximately 5,200 square kilometers which has now become dry.
Indiscriminate use of the region’s groundwater from nearby wells and construction of a dam over the rivers which pour into the lake, are the most important reasons that have caused the lake to dry out. According to experts, only %30 of these waters are sufficient for agriculture and the rest becomes wasted. Today, instead of a lake we are facing a vast salt pan that scatters around with every wind and is a serious threat to the region’s agriculture and ecosystem.

All forms of life, within a tremendous order, have together created this planet for millions of years. The only creature that makes selfish decisions and acts with no measure is human.

 

Alireza Fani, “Fake Desert No.1”, from “Fake Lake-Fake Desert” series, archival print, edition of 7 + 2 AP, 90 x 120 cm, 2014
Alireza Fani, “Fake Desert No.2”, from “Fake Lake-Fake Desert” series, archival print, edition of 7 + 2 AP, 90 x 120 cm, 2014
Alireza Fani, “Fake Desert No.3”, from “Fake Lake-Fake Desert” series, archival print, edition of 7 + 2 AP, 90 x 120 cm, 2014
Alireza Fani, “Fake Desert No.4”, from “Fake Lake-Fake Desert” series, archival print, edition of 7 + 2 AP, 90 x 120 cm, 2014
Alireza Fani, “Fake Desert No.5”, from “Fake Lake-Fake Desert” series, archival print, edition of 7 + 2 AP, 90 x 120 cm, 2014
Alireza Fani, “Fake Desert No.6”, from “Fake Lake-Fake Desert” series, archival print, edition of 7 + 2 AP, 90 x 120 cm, 2014
Alireza Fani, “Fake Desert”, from “Fake Lake-Fake Desert” series, polyptych (overall: 90 x 200 cm), archival print, each: 30 x 40 cm, edition of 7 + 2AP, 2014
Alireza Fani, “Fake Lake No.1”, from “Fake Lake-Fake Desert” series, archival print, edition of 7 + 2 AP, 90 x 120 cm, 2014
Alireza Fani, “Fake Lake No.2”, from “Fake Lake-Fake Desert” series, archival print, edition of 7 + 2 AP, 90 x 120 cm, 2014
Alireza Fani, “Fake Lake No.3”, from “Fake Lake-Fake Desert” series, archival print, edition of 7 + 2 AP, 90 x 120 cm, 2014
“Fake Lake-Fake Desert” series, installation view
“Fake Lake-Fake Desert” series, installation view