Light, Darkness and Heroism In “Midnight In Mangroves” – Chiron Duong
BY
adminchiron
PHOTOGRAPH BY CHIRON DUONG
“There is an immense connection between darkness and light. In the dark, we cannot see; we can only feel. In the light, we can both see and feel, but what can be seen prevails.” (Midnight in Mangroves, Chiron Duong 2022)
“The role of mangroves on the ecological environment, contributing to regional climate regulation, mangrove communities are also the agents of climate cooling. This photo is how I feel in the mangroves. They make the planet cool. But on a personal level, I think mangroves have a strong desire to demonstrate a quiet role that has long been little known to mankind.”
Darkness is like the virtues that we cannot easily comprehend. Light is like a shell, an external form of existence that is either captivating or unprepossessing. Witnessing the so-called dichotomy between someone’s appearance and virtues (for example, a person with a rather brutish appearance but having many extraordinary, sage qualities), we are stunned. That is when those once hidden in darkness emerge into the light for all to admire or fear. Therefore, if there is no descent into darkness, the value of stepping into the light will diminish significantly.
Mangroves have a special ability, calling birds to live, and nest, and are home to many kinds of animals, microorganisms….This reminds me of family memories every time I come back home. It’s a warm place, there are people waiting for you to come back and open the door at any time. It’s the feeling of being hugged.”
“Human activities and mangroves are guaranteed a close relationship. However, we do not pay attention because we live in other regions and mostly stay away from the forests. Every year the storms that make landfall always affect us. The mangroves – These significant heroes have a role in limiting the damage caused by natural disasters and climate change affecting the coastal areas. Friend of the Earth organization believes that protecting mangroves is the only way to protect citizens from other threats in the future (Scheer 2005).”
For a long time, the mission that mangroves preserve is to participate in a sacrificial battle to prevent salt water from the ocean from entering the land, to silently protect the fresh fruits and flowers in the inland land.”
In this photo series “Midnight in Mangroves”, I focus on the mangrove ecosystem as my research subject. I aim to capture the contrast between the peculiar, stunted appearance of the trees and the hidden, extraordinary roles of this ecosystem that are not visible to the naked eye. The goal is to highlight how this ecosystem is under threat of destruction and replacement by more economically attractive targets. Through photography, I have led the magical qualities of this ecosystem from the darkness to make it visible in the light, starting from developing a deliberate concept based on the research of scientists and ecologists to linking the photos with the motion capture effect beyond my control. From there, we can admire its miraculous connection with humans.
The sea-level rise with monsoons, storms, and high tides has eroded the coast and damaged mangrove trees. In which there are many perennial Avicennia Marina trees. Flood tide brings sand ashore, causing many mangrove species with breathing roots on the ground to be buried and die. An increase in river flow is also one of the main reasons but usually occurs in the rainy season and affects only a short time. In particular, the sea-level rise is highest on stormy days combined with the flood tide, causing extreme damage to mangroves.
Mangroves algae and mosses in the water contribute to the absorption of CO2 and the release of O2 through photosynthesis. Toxic substances and pollutants from industrial parks and urban centers are discharged into rivers and streams, dissolved in water, or deposited on the bottom, which are carried by river water to coastal estuaries. Mangroves absorb these substances and produce compounds that are less toxic to humans. In some places, after mangrove vegetation is destroyed, the intensity of water evaporation increases, causing the salinity of water and soil to increase.
This ecosystem, in turn, educates us on how to live and puts us in front of philosophical, existential questions: the sacrifice and rebirth from generation to generation of this ecosystem in a sustainable way to transform from salty land to fresh land is in exchange for what? Is it meaningless? And what is our responsibility? Or as Rachel Carson has put it: “It seems reasonable to believe — and I do believe — that the more we can focus our attention on the wonders and realities of the universe about us, the less taste we shall have for the destruction of our race.”
“In the mangrove ecosystem, in addition to the development of plants, it is also home to many kinds of animals and mostly seafood. Mangrove forests are only exposed when the sea level is low and when the sea level rises, this has created a rich and diverse mangrove ecosystem with its own characteristics that are not forest ecosystems.”
“Medicinal use is one of the most crucial yet forgotten roles of mangroves. This critical role has fallen into oblivion for a long time, thus leading to inadequate perceptions of the value of mangroves. In Vietnam, many species of mangrove plants help provide tannin and are used as medicine, such as Rhizophora, Kandelia Candel, Ceriops, and Bruguiera.”
“Sea-level rise, along with the development of residential areas and coastal constructions, has got the mangrove ecosystems in a grip. It makes mangroves unable to encroach on the sea. On the other hand, it prevents mangroves from moving inland to survive. Gradually, causing mangrove forest degradation.”
“Mangrove forests are the silent heroes, bearing the character of magnanimous heroes who fight selflessly for justice.”
“Waste from fishing activities, brackish saltwater, fishing gear, and debris in the wind and storm seasons cause damage to this ecosystem.”
“Under the effect of domestic wastewater, the waste of domestic water has led to severe groundwater reduction. Groundwater is the resource needed for mangrove plants and mud-dwelling organisms. It also affects the geological structure of the coastal area. These substances follow runoff from fields of wastewater from aquaculture and urban areas along rivers and canals to concentrate in mangrove forests.”
“Using groundwater to regulate salinity in large aquaculture areas and the wasteful use of domestic water has led to a severe decrease in groundwater resources needed for mangrove species, along with oil spill and chemical waste from the factory to the coastal area.”
“MIDNIGHT IN THE MANGROVES” Art Exhibition is a non-profit exhibition that combines the art of photography with knowledge of mangroves. It demonstrates the close relationship between arts and education in the community by focusing on the environment and climate. This is a photo series capturing the last moments of mangroves, thereby demonstrating the sensitivity of the mangrove ecosystems to external and internal factors, showing the role of the mangrove ecosystems based on the document Useful Products from Mangrove and Coastal Plants by Shigeyuki Baba, Hung Tuck Chan, Sanit Aksornkoae. Based on the document Structure, Function, and Management of Mangrove Ecosystems by Jin Eong Ong & Wooi Khoon Gong.
