HDP foil with silkscreened archive images
The visible surface of a landscape is good at hiding its underlying secrets.
Volgermeerpolder, a nature reserve just above Amsterdam and the most polluted place in the Netherlands is a good example of this.
In the 17th and 18th century, Volgermeerpolder was used to harvest peat. After this period and up until 1980, the area was heavily polluted with household waste and illegally dumped chemical waste, including the very toxic compound dioxin. From then on the area has been under construction by the municipality as they decided to start removing the waste manually. The pollution was so severe that due to financial reasons, the municipality took their hands of the area and left the polluted soil where it was. It was covered with HDP foil and new soil on top, which is supposed to again form peat to encapsulate the underlying soil. Since 2011 the area has been open to the public again and is used to bike, walk your dog, and serve as a habitat for birds, fish, insects and rare plant species.
Depicted on the images from left to right: the act of removing the chemically polluted soil, working on the garbage dump and harvesting peat.
All images received from Het Stadsarchief Amsterdam