Zak van Biljon: Modernising Nature

Instead of characteristic imagery of ‘dark fir trees and green meadows in the sunshine’, as famously illustrated in the iconic children’s TV series Heidi, we are confronted with mountains and landscapes in striking shades of reds, pinks and violets of varying intensities.i Our nostalgically rooted perception of the Swiss Alpine region, its distinctive peaks and legendary vistas, is upended. After an initial, brief but intense moment of disorientation, the colours exert their magnetic pull: like moths drawn to the bright flickering of a flame, we immerse ourselves in the seductively radiant scenes of Modernising Nature. Yet we are left wondering about the possible origin of the unfamiliar colouring of the landscapes – could it simply be a case of digital manipulation?
In reality, what we see is a ‘hidden’ spectrum invisible to the human eye, revealed through van Biljon’s use of near-infrared photography.