Trash Tale: A Land Wasted by Habit

A while ago, Cyprus was a paradise island. Its beauty was undoubtedly appealing to people who settled here or came here from faraway lands. But soon, people started taking the island’s natural treasures for granted, forgetting all about their own ecological footprint. The latter proved to be too hard for Cyprus to bear. A huge part of this footprint is garbage. A logical question arises: Where does waste go on an island? The answer is pretty dire. All the growing amounts of trash produced by the cities of Cyprus go straight to the landfills and illegal dumps, where garbage keeps accumulating, waiting for its story to be told…

The story of waste can be told in many different ways. The one chosen by Null and Olga Kornilova is a photo-narrative full of allegories and contrasts.

This is how Olga Kornilova, the creative photo artist behind this project, reflects on it: “My inspiration stems from a deep connection to nature. As an outdoor photographer living in Cyprus, I frequently travel to various photoshoot locations. Recently, I've noticed a troubling trend - a significant amount of rubbish being discarded in these natural settings. This realization has fueled my determination to spotlight the crucial importance of nature conservation.”

“Trash Tale” is a visual narrative that exposes the impact of littering and boldly confronts this issue, employing an exquisite blend of photography and videography to expose the devastating consequences of spontaneous dumping. Through a series of poignant visual narratives, "Trash Tale" unveils the jarring juxtaposition between the elegance of fashion-clad individuals and the unsightly heaps of discarded waste mar the Cypriot landscape. Plastic bottles, electronic devices, fabric, and non-biodegradable materials form a jarring backdrop to these stylish figures, creating a heartbreaking and thought-provoking composition. Each photograph within "Trash Tale" is a stark reminder of the burdensome impact of human negligence on our environment. The project's evocative imagery compels viewers to confront the harsh reality of how our actions desecrate nature's beauty, underscoring the urgent need for responsible waste management and a collective shift toward sustainable practices.

The project's overarching message is one of urgent collective action. By igniting a sense of commitment and responsibility, "Trash Tale" encourages individuals and communities to embrace waste reduction, proper disposal practices, and advocacy for policies protecting our precious ecosystems. It is a call to action, a transformative force that seeks to reshape perspectives, incite action, and cultivate a shared commitment to preserving our planet for future generations.

Now, looking at these eloquent images that juxtapose the glamorous looks and gore trash sites, you will see the story of unreasonable consumption and careless disposal that contributes to one of the biggest problems of the anthropogenic era - waste. Supporting Null Art (inter alia, works by Olga Kornilova from the Trash Tale series) is one creative way to acknowledge the problem and compensate for it via investing into natural restoration.

In our Trash Tale, the end is, in fact, a new beginning. Once people start to care deeply about the journey of trash that starts at their households and ends in nature, the whole story of the island will change. In this story, finding a long-term solution to the waste issue will become everyone’s “happily-ever-after”, and the glam-gore visuals created by Olga Kornilova will serve as the future generations’ only documentary reminder that the problem of waste ever existed in Cyprus!