Tinkebell is known for her socially engaged art, in particular her provocative artworks about animal welfare. Later in her career, she also focused on international problems, such as the refugee crisis and the consequences of the nuclear disaster in Fukushima.
While her projects in Japan came to a standstill due to the pandemic, Tinkebell was approached in February 2021 by Frisse Wind, a foundation from the IJmond region that had filed a lawsuit against Tata Steel. ‘For years, local residents have tried to draw attention to the pathogenic emissions from the steel factories, but without success,’ she says. ‘It’s like the struggle of the people of Groningen against natural gas extraction.’
Fresh Wind hoped Tinkebell could draw attention to the problem. Together with Sanne Walvisch, founder of Frisse Wind, the artist went into the dunes near Wijk aan Zee. ‘I pulled a magnet through the sand there and a large wad of black dust immediately stuck to it. I knew immediately that I wanted to do something with it. That same day I made a test version.’
She can show that work of art: a negative made with fabric on a wooden plate of plants from the vicinity of the factories. ‘Fresh Wind explained to me that the pollution means fewer plant species grow in the region, so it seemed logical to me to do something with both the dust and those plants.’
Making the works is time-consuming, so Tinkebell continues to work during the conversation. She uses a magnet to extract black dust from a bucket of dune sand from Wijk aan Zee above a table. ‘To fill an area of roughly one square meter, I do this for fifteen to twenty hours. That quickly becomes deadly boring. As soon as I have enough material, I make a composition on a canvas with dried plants. I spray fixer over that and then I blow the dust on it, so that it sticks. Finally, I remove the flowers again and a negative is created. For two weeks I still spray fixer over the canvas every day to strengthen it. So the buyers of my art don’t have to worry about breathing Tata dust.’
The situation is different for the creator of the works of art. Working with the material for more than a few hours causes problems. ‘It gives me headaches, I get dizzy and at the end of the week I often have nosebleeds. I do wear gloves and a mask to protect myself. But if I blow the dust on the cloths, I can’t put on a mask.’
At the same time, her working method is a conscious choice: ‘By blowing the dust myself, I get a more precise result than with a device. And I wanted to do my own research into how dangerous the Tata Steel emissions really are, rather than rallying behind Fresh Wind in advance. I work with the material for a short time, but local residents have to wipe a layer of carcinogenic, black deposits from their windowsills every day. Those who are concerned about my health while I do this should also ask themselves why people are allowed to live in the IJmond under these conditions.’
When asked whether awareness is a goal of Flora Tata Metallica Tinkebell replies that she finds that an annoying buzzword. ‘It’s not just about raising awareness, it’s about solving this problem. It’s 2022, we need to find a way to produce steel cleanly. I think that the top man of Tata Steel Netherlands, Hans van den Berg, is a great work from my Flora Tata Metallicaseries and hang it above his desk to remind himself daily of what he is responsible for.”
Flora Tata Metallica can be seen until 18/6 in the Torch Gallery in Amsterdam.
Many years of nuisance
The nuisance to the environment of Tata Steel will continue for decades and will temporarily get worse. This is due to work to convert the steel factory for a more sustainable and cleaner production process. Tata Steel hopes to have a first factory by 2030 in which iron is made with hydrogen instead of coal. Only then can parts that currently cause a lot of nuisance in the form of emissions and odors be closed.