Unsettled (2008 – 2021) is a long term project on change and environment and addresses a current topic with global relevance. The series documents the evolution of the Antwerp harbour expansion zone in Belgium which finds itself on a competing global position for container traffic. The area is undergoing major transitions through vast Industrial expansions and related nature compensation plans imposed by the European Union to balance the industrial growth with ecological areas and protect the hinterland against rising sea levels.
Starting from this local Belgian example the Unsettled project refers to a global tendency of industrial, economic and environmental shifts and the challenge to balance these elements for a sustainable future.
The series shows layered landscapes of the transforming area, either for industrial or compensating nature targets, interior images of abandoned houses in the endangered village of Doel and portraits of young inhabitants in the area who will need to migrate because of the harbour expansion and nature compensation plans.
The project touches upon notions such as progress, change, ecology, climate change, sustainability, rising sea levels, global trade, value of land, migration, and the connection between identity and surrounding.
European law requires the construction of nature compensation areas in case of industrial expansions. In the wide area around the Belgian village Doel, a lot of new nature compensation areas have been created to compensate with the expanding harbour industry. In this image we see these two elements opposed to each other: a new nature area in front and the expanding harbour in the back of the image.
Kirsten was raised in a residential area nearby the expanding port of Antwerp. The area finds itself in major transitions by vast Industrial expansions and related nature compensation plans imposed by the European Union to balance the industrial growth and protect the hinterland against rising sea levels. She is posing here in a former agricultural area which is now being transformed into estuarine nature which will have a double function: the created nature will be an important ecological area and protect the hinterland from flooding in case of extremely high sea levels, which are being expected to be more frequent because of the rising sea levels.
In 1965 the village ‘Wilmarsdonk’, nearby the Antwerp harbour was sacrificed in favor of the creation of a new container logistic area for the Port of Antwerp expansion. Only the Gothic tower of the St. Laurentius church was preserved and finds itself today in the middle of an industrial area.
This image shows the construction site of the Deurgank Dock Lock at night time. This new lock of the port of Antwerp in Belgium is the world’s largest lock, and part of the big harbour expansions, allowing the harbour to compete on an International scale and cope with the increase of imported goods from the far east.
The image is part of the UNSETTLED project, which documents large scale alternations in the Antwerp harbour expansion region.
The area is under pressure by vast harbor expansions and related nature compensation plans imposed by the European Union.
European law requires the construction of nature compensation areas in case of industrial expansions. In the wide area around the Belgian village Doel, a lot of new nature compensation areas have been created to compensate with the expanding harbour industry. In this image we see the previous agricultural area of Prosperpolder, under construction for nature compensation area. Former agricultural families have left the area and migrated for the construction of the nature area to another place.
Victor Cerpentier is an adolescent living with his parents and brother in the agricultural area around the Antwerp harbor which is endangered because of harbor expansion plans and related nature compensation areas. Their parents are working in agriculture but it is uncertain if the next generation will still be able to continue that business on that spot. Because of the European nature 2000 regulations, dealing with nature compensation in case of industrial expansion, the Antwerp expansion area is turning a lot of previous agricultural area into nature areas, which is a threat for agricultural families.
European law requires the construction of nature compensation areas in case of industrial expansions. In the wider area around the Belgian village Doel nearby the harbour of Antwerp, (temporary) nature areas have been created to compensate the expanding harbour, but you can question if fallow land with traces of a former road replies to the idea of nature.
The village of Doel, nearby the Antwerp harbour has been endangered as a living area for decades, because of large harbour expansion plans by the port of Antwerp. Because of the ongoing pressure on the villagers and uncertainty as a living environment with quality for the future, many villagers sold their houses to the The Scheldt Left Bank Corporation who is responsible for the management and land policy of the port on the left bank of the Scheldt since 1982. Once this company owns a new house, they demolish it, to prepare the space for harbour expansion plans. In this image a former house is deconstructed after being sold by former villagers of the village of Doel to this company.
Yannick is an adolescent living in the residential village called Doel, nearby the Antwerp harbor which is endangered because of harbor expansion plans.
The village of Doel, nearby the Antwerp harbour has been endangered as a living area for decades, because of large harbour expansion plans by the port of Antwerp. Because of the ongoing pressure on the villagers and uncertainty as a living environment with quality for the future, many villagers sold their houses to the The Scheldt Left Bank Corporation who is responsible for the management and land policy of the port on the left bank of the Scheldt since 1982.
The village of Doel, nearby the Antwerp harbour has been endangered as a living area for decades, because of large harbour expansion plans by the port of Antwerp. Because of the ongoing pressure on the villagers and uncertainty as a living environment with quality for the future, many villagers sold their houses to the The Scheldt Left Bank Corporation who is responsible for the management and land policy of the port on the left bank of the Scheldt since 1982. This company will demolish the houses and prepare the space for harbour expansion plans. This image was taken not long after a family left their house is in the village of Doel, after having sold their property to The Scheldt Left Bank Corporation.
Christof is one of the adolescents who grew up in the Belgian village Doel, which is threatened because of harbour expansions of the neighbouring port of Antwerp. Because of the uncertainty many villagers left their houses and moved to the surrounding area.
The Industrial expansion plans install disruption of the social fabric and people are forced to migrate.
The kitchen of an abandoned house in the village Doel. The wall shows an illustration of a forest, probably meant to give its inhabitants who used to live there a comfortable feeling. Ironically enough the construction of nature areas in this area, meant to compensate the expanding industry has forced inhabitants to leave their houses.
The village of Doel, nearby the Antwerp harbour has been endangered as a living area for decades, because of large harbour expansion plans by the port of Antwerp. Because of the ongoing pressure on the villagers and uncertainty as a living environment with quality for the future, many villagers sold their houses to the The Scheldt Left Bank Corporation who is responsible for the management and land policy of the port on the left bank of the Scheldt since 1982. This company will demolish the houses and prepare the space for harbour expansion plans. This image was taken not long after a family left their house is in the village of Doel, after having sold their property to The Scheldt Left Bank Corporation.
Interior of the abandoned boarding school Sint Cornelius in the village of Doel. Because of harbour expansion plans the former villagers have almost all left the village.
This image shows the construction site of the Deurgank Dock Lock at night time. This new lock of the port of Antwerp in Belgium is the world’s largest lock, and part of the big harbour expansions, allowing the harbour to compete on an International scale and cope with the increase of imported goods from the far east.
Isabelle Pateer (1980) is a Belgian photographer who holds a Master in Fine Arts (2003, Brussels) and works as a (freelance) art and documentary photographer on personal series as well as commissioned work for International clients among which The New York Times and Financial Times.
