SACRIFICIAL LANDSCAPES

TALES OF AN ECUADORIAN MANGROVE FOREST

A Design Research project that critically interrogates our extractivist landscapes in the Global South.

By reshaping conventional ecological narratives of consumption, destruction, and renewal, we envision speculative futures that provoke dialogue and help us forge new paths forward.

S/S 2024 EXTRACTIVISM ISSUE ***

A person in a yellow raincoat and colorful boots stands in a mangrove forest with tangled roots. The text on the image reads 'Sacrificial Landscapes,' 'Extractivism Issue,' and 'From Extractivism to Renewal: Reframing Ecuador's Mangrove Forest and Industrial Shrimp Farming Futures.'

Download our latest AT_LOOR report, Issue S/S 2024, in the link below! Here we delve deep into the mulktifaceted stroies that whisper across the mangrove forest, tracing histories of a part now lost to imagining alternative futures that will guide us forward. In this issue, we seek to reveal the hidden landscapes of extraction, hidding behind a thin veenar of vegetation, unmasking a global industry that has scared the sacraed landscaped and displaced communities throughout the decades.

Download our AT_LOOR REPORT

Person in yellow raincoat standing in mangrove forest with branches and roots, text reads: 'Sacrificial Landscapes: Tales from an Ecuadorian Mangrove Forest.' Credits include Liam Young, Alejandro Loor, Santiago Amézquita.

Futuristic drone hovering in a forest, with text 'One Seed at a Time' emphasizing environmental conservation and technology.

Fresh shrimp with text "The freshest and must sustainable."

A glossary of environmental terms and concepts including sacrificial landscape, extractivism, global south, mangrove basin, territory, landscape, globalization, biocapacity, anthropogenic, resilience, ecology, biodiversity, sustainability, deforestat

Man in yellow raincoat and boots in mangrove forest with table of contents from 'Sacrificial Landscapes' on extractivism, listing topics such as editors notes, ecological renewal in Ecuador, mangrove restoration, industrial shrimp farming, and sustai

Magazine editor's note on Ecuador's mangrove ecosystems and red futuristic cityscape

Burning effigy in Ecuador as part of New Year's tradition, with flames and a person in boots stepping over it. Includes text explaining the cultural significance of burning 'años viejos' to symbolize the old year.

A two-page spread featuring text about cultural symbolism and ecological renewal. Left side shows images of shrimp effigies in a street setting. Right side displays a detailed view of an orange shrimp effigy, highlighting its texture and form.

Fire performances on water with bright lights and text "VSF: The Freshest and Most Sustainable" in top right corner.

Trucks on a barge transporting vehicles across a river, with trees in the background, and the text 'A Highway on the Sea.'

Person sanding a boat with text about deforestation

Smiling person in a blue shirt, text about deforestation and mangroves.

Magazine spread featuring an interview with Humberto Vera, a fisherman and boat captain, discussing mangrove conservation alongside an image of freshly caught fish on a wooden surface.

Collage of multiple images showing various barges in water settings, labeled 'GABBARAS'.

Map illustrating shrimp farming history in Ecuador, highlighting the Guayas Mangrove Basin. Large title "A History of Extraction" with descriptive text about shrimp farming's impact on local ecosystems and communities.

Aerial view of shrimp farming ponds surrounding a mangrove area, with text explaining the environmental impact of shrimp farming. Insets show stages of shrimp production: preparing offspring, feeding and oxygenating pools, processing and packing shri

Aerial view of a riverboat navigating a waterway surrounded by lush mangrove forests in Guayaquil, Ecuador. Text overlays indicate various elevations above sea level, including measurements inside a shrimp farm and mangroves. Additional text describe

Text discusses mangrove deforestation and environmental impact with an image of an industrial site by the water, featuring pipes and a metal structure, with mangrove trees in the background.

Aerial view of mangrove forest and shrimp farms in Ecuador with text overlay "Voices of a Mangrove" and descriptive paragraph about environmental impact.

Two men in a mangrove forest kneeling by water, wearing gloves and boots, one holding a red rope. Text on image reads: 'HERMANOS RAMIREZ. Before, the crabs were right here—just a hand’s reach away. Now, we have to go farther and dig deeper. Everythin

Two people in a mangrove forest, seated on the ground with tools, engaged in work. One wears a cap and holds a branch with roots. A white sack is placed between them. Background includes dense greenery and text overlay partially discussing their chal

A man wearing a blue jacket and gloves is sitting in a mangrove forest, surrounded by crabs. He is organizing or collecting the crabs in front of him. The background features dense foliage and muddy ground. Accompanying text discusses crab harvesting

Aerial view of a reforestation machine in a mangrove forest with large text 'Reforestation Endeavored'. Descriptive text about Ecuador's mangrove restoration effort below.

Two people in yellow raincoats sitting on the ground in a mangrove forest, reading or studying something in their hands, with text about environmental conservation on the left side of the image.

Magazine spread featuring an interview with José Carlos Alvarado on mangrove reforestation. The left page includes text discussing Alvarado's role and the importance of mangroves. The right page shows a man wearing a bright yellow raincoat and boots,

Person looking at a green mechanical device in a forest setting, wearing a yellow jacket, with the text "JOIN TODAY."

Shrimp underwater with text indicating annual farming statistics, 424 billion shrimp farmed annually.

World map with regions labeled Global North and Global South, along with ocean names Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Southern, and Arctic. Stock tickers and prices SHMP $7.11, CCS $52.71, and a shrimp diagram included. Text depicts a stock market theme.

Cargo ship at night with cranes at a port, illuminated by artificial lights, reflecting on the water; text about shrimp export industry.

Industrial structure with metal beams and machinery, accompanied by text discussing sustainable shrimp farming and technological innovation.

Futuristic vertical shrimp farm concept with pink buildings, digital displays, and international flags, surrounded by greenery and waterways. Text highlights environmental sustainability and aquaculture innovation by Vertical Shrimp Farm, Inc.

Digital image featuring a vertical shrimp farming facility with an LED display showing stock-like numbers. The image has textual content discussing sustainable shrimp farming practices, environmental renewal, and technological advancements. The numbe

Dense mangrove roots and branches with overlay text "VSF, Written and edited by Alejandro Loor, Special Advisor David Ruy, @at_loor, S/S 2024, Copy of 25."

Sacrificial Landscapes | Alejandro Loor | Ecuador Mangrove Basin

70%

of the Ecuadorian Mangrove Forest has been deforested to make way for Industrial Shrimp Farming. An Extractavist economy that requires a global appetite to sustain it.

Sacrificial Landscapes | Alejandro Loor | Ecuador Mangrove Deforestation

Witness the aggressive and enduring effects of industrial shrimp farming as it carves through Ecuador’s mangrove forests. This footage unveils the stark reality of a landscape in flux—thin veins of mangrove vegetation struggling to remain intact against the backdrop of relentless extraction. From the rhythmic passage of shrimp-laden gabarras cutting through waterways, to the hidden cargo ports embedded deep within the forest, this documentation reveals a world where industrial contamination is constant, and ecological degradation persists. Through this visual narrative, we confront the magnitude of an industry that refuses to slow, reshaping the environment in its wake.

Witness the scars hidden behind the thin veneer of vegetation.

Unveil these Hidden Landscapes

Futuristic cityscape with pink buildings, flags, and numbers 07. Green trees and waterways are interspersed. Features digital displays with texts like 'YURTA 29PPF56.90'. Multiple international flags are visible, including those of the United States, China, France, and the European Union.

And the futures envisioned to bring them back.

What futures remain?

Sacrificial Landscapes | Alejandro Loor | Design Research Exhibition

Art installation with multiple video screens showing people and nature scenes, viewed by two people.

Sacrificial Landscapes | Alejandro Loor | Humberto Vera - Captain and Fisherman

Hear the genrational stories echoing through the mangrove forest.

The interviews presented here are an essential component of Sacrificial Landscapes, offering a window into the lived realities and speculative futures that shape these contested environments. Through the voices of fishermen, reforestation agents, and community members, these conversations weave together personal narratives and historical memories, painting both real and fictional perspectives of the mangrove’s complex transformation. This series not only captures the human stories behind the project’s research but also lays the groundwork for future dialogues, continuing to develop Sacrificial Landscapes as a dynamic, evolving exploration of extractivism and renewal. By engaging directly with the people who navigate these landscapes daily, we confront the tangible impacts of environmental change while reimagining the possibilities for what these territories might yet become.

Explore our Interview Series