1001 Tons Exposition Jessica Theis

‘No, I’m not making this up, it’s not a fairy tale; these figures are not the stuff that dreams are made of, but that’s the reality: 1.6 kilos of waste per year and inhabitant in Luxembourg (2020), multiplied by more than 626,000 inhabitants (2020), which amounts to 1001 tonnes of waste that is dumped illegally every year. In other words, 103 kilos of waste per kilometre on our country roads. And 216 kilos of waste per kilometre along our highways. This costs Luxembourg 1.2 million euros per year. I photograph the illegal dumps, the fly tips that people leave behind in nature, the waste from their bathrooms that they dump in the forests, the cars they abandon by the side of the road, the waste they fail to pick up after their barbecues, the cigarette packages and cans they throw out of their cars, the bricks and rubble that companies do not dispose of properly. Why are people doing this? Have we lost all our scruples? Where is the respect for nature and for others? And what can we do about it?’ (Jessica Theis)

For the Luxembourgian photographer Jessica Theis, it is fundamentally important to visualise our behaviour as consumers and the way in which society’s throw-away mentality contributes to the environmental problem. ‘Why are we buying so much? Why do we always replace things instead of fixing them? How can we act against this? What can we do as individuals? What can we do in our circle of friends, in our family, at work?’

Jessica Theis will exhibit her photographs in the urban space, organise round-table talks, initiate exhibitions and actions in schools, and publish a catalogue.