The blast furnaces in Ijmuiden (Tata Steel) stand as silent witnesses to the industrial history of the region, embodying a legacy of labor, progress, and environmental impact.
A blast furnace is a tall, vertical furnace that generates molten metals through a process where pressurized air reacts with a combination of metallic ore, coke, and flux introduced from the top. These furnaces are employed in the production of pig iron from iron ore, which is then further refined into steel. However, their towering presence also symbolizes the concept of slow violence. While their operation contributed to economic growth, it also inflicted gradual, often unnoticed harm to both the environment and the health of nearby communities. The emissions from these ovens, laden with pollutants, lingered in the air, soil, and water, perpetuating a cycle of degradation.In this context, the blast furnaces are poignant reminders of the hidden costs of industrialization, urging reflection on the long-term consequences of human activities and the imperative of sustainable development.
5 April 2019, Ijmuiden
Ijmuiden serves as a crucial example in understanding the gradual transformation of a coastal area into an environmental and social crisis. This transformation often involves the subtle concealment of destructive environmental forces. Peter Sutoris, following up on Rob Nixon, refers to this as 'slow violence.' The concept refers to the incremental destruction of both the planet and its inhabitants through largely imperceptible processes. Unlike overt acts of violence, these processes lack spectacle, yet their cumulative impact ultimately leads to similarly devastating outcomes.
I am intrigued by the aesthetics of slow violence, particularly the seemingly pristine (virgin-like) quality of the emissions—white clouds billowing forth with an almost untouched purity. Despite their appearance of innocence, these emissions are laden with harmful pollutants, yet their outward beauty masks the insidious harm they pose to both human health and the natural environment.