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Nick Brandt’s Photos Stress the Resilience of Syrian Refugees in the Face of the Climate Crisis

07 Mar, 2025

This post was originally published on Colossal

In the Jordanian desert, Syrian families displaced by war huddle atop stacks of boxes like stalwart islands in a dry and unforgiving landscape. Photographer Nick Brandt captures children, siblings, and entire families who stand together and climb skyward like monuments or promontories—what the artist describes as “pedestals for those that in our society are typically unseen and unheard.”

The series marks the fourth chapter in an ongoing series called The Day May Break, which has taken Brandt around the world in search of visual stories illuminating the effects of the climate crisis.

a black-and-white photograph in the Jordanian desert of two people in black garments perched on a stack of boxes to create a monolith-like form

Brandt began the series in 2020, reflecting on myriad experiences of “limbo,” both in the midst of the pandemic and relating to the tenuous ecological balance of our planet. In an essay accompanying Chapter One of The Day May Break, Brandt writes:

Nearly twenty years ago, I started photographing the wild animals of Africa as an elegy to a disappearing world. After some (too many) years seeing the escalating environmental destruction, I felt an urgent need to move away from that kind of work and address the destruction in a much more direct way.

Brandt began the series in Zimbabwe and Kenya, focusing the first chapter on portrayals of both people and animals that have been impacted by environmental degradation and destruction. Every person he documented was deeply affected by the changing climate. “Some were displaced by cyclones that destroyed their homes,” Brandt says. “For some, like Kuda in Zimbabwe, or Robert and Nyaguthii in Kenya, it was more tragic: both of them lost two young children, swept away by the floods.”

For Chapter Two, Brandt traveled to the Senda Verde Animal Sanctuary in Bolivia, where wildlife affected by trafficking and habitat destruction are cared for. And for Chapter Three, subtitled SINK/RISE, he took his camera into the ocean off the coast of Fiji, focusing on individuals whose livelihoods have been impacted by rising sea levels. Plunging decrepit furniture onto the sea floor, individuals and families interact with one another entirely underwater.

a black-and-white photograph in the Jordanian desert of two people in black garments perched on a stack of boxes to create a monolith-like form

For the series’ newest addition, Chapter Four, subtitled The Echo of Our Voices, Brandt traveled to arid Jordan, one of the most water-scarce countries in the world. The dramatic black-and-white photos feature refugee families who fled the war in Syria. Perched on stacks of cubes, they transform into living monoliths, symbolic of resilience, surrounded by the rugged, sandy expanse.

The photographer says, “Living lives of continuous displacement largely due to climate change, they are forced to move their homes up to several times a year, moving to where there is available agricultural work—to wherever there has been sufficient rainfall to enable crops to grow.” Parents stand alongside their children; siblings embrace; and families are shown alternately gazing into the distance, turning to one another for comfort, or taking time to rest.

“This chapter is different from the first three chapters, both visually and emotionally: a show of connection and strength in the face of adversity; that when all else is lost, you still have each other,” Brandt says. Explore much more work on his website.

a black-and-white photograph in the Jordanian desert of a group of people in black garments perched on a stack of boxes to create a monolith-like form
a black-and-white photograph in the Jordanian desert of two children in black garments perched on a stack of boxes to create a monolith-like form
a black-and-white photograph in the Jordanian desert of a group of people in black garments perched on a stack of boxes to create a monolith-like form
a black-and-white photograph in the Jordanian desert of two children in black garments perched on a stack of boxes to create a monolith-like form
a black-and-white photograph in the Jordanian desert of a group of people in black garments perched on a stack of boxes to create a monolith-like form
a black-and-white photograph in the Jordanian desert of a group of people in black garments perched on a stack of boxes to create a monolith-like form

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article Nick Brandt’s Photos Stress the Resilience of Syrian Refugees in the Face of the Climate Crisis appeared first on Colossal.

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ReGen Expo 2025 Speaker Program announced

ReGen Expo 2025 Speaker Program announced

ReGen Expo has announced its two-day speaker program, set to take place from 23–24 July 2025 at ICC Sydney.

The program features over 50 voices from across government, industry, research and community sectors, all united by a shared mission: to double Australia’s circularity by 2035.

Collaborating with Planet Ark, WCRA and ReGen’s Advisory Board, the program discusses the nation’s resource and design challenges, with sessions focused on circular product design, packaging, procurement, construction, textiles, policy frameworks and Indigenous knowledge systems.

“I’m incredibly proud of the depth and diversity this year’s speaker program offers — it’s the result of deep collaboration with our Advisory Board, Planet Ark, WCRA and our broader community,” said Ali Lawes, ReGen Event Director. “We set out to curate a program that goes beyond a ‘talk fest’ — one that delivers tangible solutions, sparks real-world impact, and helps drive Australia’s transition to a circular economy. ReGen 2025 is about action, alignment and accelerating progress together.”

Speaker highlights include:

Heinz Schandl (CSIRO) on the national metrics needed to reach double circularity;
Dr Kate Wruck (2025 Young Australian of the Year) exploring how Indigenous knowledge forms the foundation of circularity;
Courtney Holm (ABCH) and Anne-Marie Cheney (eBay Australia) discussing innovation in fashion and reuse;
Jeff Morgan (Hassell) and Anthony Carbone (Kennett Builders) sharing practical examples of circular construction; and
Chris Foley (APCO) and Lars Jung (Planet Protector Packaging) on the future of packaging policy and design.
 

The program also includes the Innovation Pitch Fest, sponsored by Coles, where Australian startups and scale-ups will present the latest solutions to promote circularity across industries.

Sessions are free to attend for all registered ReGen visitors, with full program details available online.

Image credit: iStock.com/kasto80

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