A Blood Red Forest

As I walk onto the second floor of Trondhjems Kunstforening, I am immediately met by one of Daniel Hygstedt Hansen’s photographs. The image depicts a forest and is part of Hansen’s exhibition, The White Tower. While the thought of a forest usually brings images of green, Hansen’s forest is red. Each leaf is a deep maroon, and even the bark of the trees has a reddish hue. After reading the brief overview of the exhibition, I learn that a special infrared camera was used to create these photos and that these images are of the Białowieża Forest, which lies on the border of Belarus and Poland. I also learn that part of this forest is a strictly protected nature reserve and that a humanitarian crisis is currently unfolding there. Refugees from Belarus are being left at the border, and in response, Poland has built a large fence that runs through Białowieża. 

With this in mind, I begin to walk through the main room of the exhibition. The photographs are interspersed between wall labels that contain information about Białowieża. They range from discussing the environmental impact of an invasive species of beetles and the response to these beetles, to the refugee crisis and the building of the wall, to thoughts about human intervention in conservation efforts. While reading each panel, it sometimes felt like they jumped in between topics without a clear throughline, and a few of them were screenshots from various sources that were quite dense. After reading all of the labels, I feel a bit confused about the timeline of events and what the core meaning or focus of the exhibition is. It could be read as a critique on the disregard for human life in a forest that has received such extensive care and protections. There is so much information to digest that, in some ways, the photographs end up taking a back seat. My focus has shifted to the labels, attempting to digest all the information I’ve just read.

I walk into the final room where the short film is, grappling with all the details that have been shared. The film is really where this exhibition shines. It shares the story of the forest in a much more digestible manner while also being visually very compelling. The film shares the story of Białowieża through interviews as well as brief overviews of the main events occurring in the forest. Instead of delving into specifics, it focuses on two primary points: the environmental health of the forest and the humanitarian crisis. The images of Białowieża in the film are a bright, striking, blood red. The forest feels foreboding and invokes thoughts of death; it is hauntingly beautiful. While watching the film, I begin to consider why Hansen chose to use an infrared camera. I wonder if the red acts as a symbol for not only the environmental crisis but for the literal blood of the beaten and, in some cases, killed refugees hiding in the forest. This is further supported by the story of the Red Forest, which is shared in the film. Located near Chernobyl, the Red Forest was exposed to so much radiation that all the plant life turned a ginger-brown color and then died. The red color was a warning of impending death.

Both the environmental and humanitarian crises occurring in the forest are important causes, but they often feel distinct from each other in the exhibition. I would have loved for the connection to be a bit more fleshed out. In what ways has the fence disrupted the wildlife in the forest? How has Białowieża been impacted by the presence of the refugees? What threats does the forest pose to the refugees who are left without a clear path to safety? The White Tower provides valuable information, and the photographs, particularly in the film, are really stunning. Yet I’m left feeling like the exhibition had a difficult time balancing the amount of information and which details to provide to viewers while also allowing the art to speak for itself. Despite this, the events occurring in Białowieża are deeply important, and I leave feeling better informed about these crises than when I entered.

All photos: Daniel Hygstedt Hansen, The White Tower, Trondhjem kunstforening. F. Lili Zaneta

Daniel H. Hansen, The White Tower
23. april–31. mai 2026
Trondhjem kunstforening