Michelle Ferreira, Where the green seeps into the concrete (BLACK & WHITE 2024)

'Where the green seeps into the concrete', is a photographic series exploring the relationship between human-made and nature in urban landscapes. The project documents how nature seeps into the urban environment through a documentary lens intersecting with the surreal through double exposure techniques. We are an integral part of ecosystems; we influence their natural functional course. Ecosystems give services like water, air, soil, food, habitat for animals and plants, and, furthermore, spiritual benefits for our mental well-being. Deforestation is often driven by urbanization, and we deeply feel the insufficiency of natural spaces. We rely imminently on the functioning of these ecosystems, including those of us who live in cities. It is simple – the loss of our ecosystems will be the loss of humanity. Cities have an essential role in fighting against climate change — we need more greening, not concrete. I reflect on the liminal space between natural organic and non-natural geometric forms. I follow one rule; each double-exposure image is seen from one spot to create an abstract environment where nature and urban spaces meet.

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.