Two architects, Rem Koolhaas and Samir Bantal made the exhibition “Countryside, The Future“, at Guggenheim in New York. In their view it is time to change the view on city life. For many decades people moved to municipalities, and started to live very compact together. Life in cities appears to be unhealthy, as the numbers of corona patients and deaths show. During the coronavirus pandemic children, youngsters, adults and elderly have been locked up in cities, in their homes, for many months. Life in cities is not only unhealthy in 2020: history shows that life in cities has always been utterly unhealthy.

But what will happen with the beautiful, natural, clean countryside, with its enormous space, fantastic green untouched landscapes, their healthy soils and open air, their natural sounds, their whole-iness/holiness, because of the absence of awful modern man-made noises, pollution, also the pollution of electromagnetic radiation, cell towers, thrown away plastic, paper and other rubbish, when millions of humans are going to leave their cities, and free space in the country side is going to be taken by those who do not know how to behave in the countryside?

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The Norway life style

Both want to promote the life style of Kenia, which is by the way comparable with the Norway life style: live in cities, and go to your “hytte” in the middle of nature in the weekend and holidays. Norway has hardly any landscape without a hytte somewhere, and too often there are groups of “hytter”, thrown as confetti in the landscapes, everywhere. Can you imagine what the impact is of the modern human being, with soap, shampoo, toothpaste, toilet paper, on nature, natural clean water? Photo: dark green is wilderness, areas without any human presence within 5 km.

Norway’s wilderness has been exploited by the Norwegian lifestyle. The two artists want city people to exploit earth: well, dear two, it is the shortest way to the end of all what is left on earth, and named wilderness. But there is more to worry about.

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Soils

Are Rem Koolhaas and Samir Bantal aware of what exactly the total of square meters is on which humans are able to build, or to cultivate vegetables, potatoes, corn, etc.? That total of square meters is so immense small, that these will disappear completely within their scenario. What a narrow minded, unaware, couple of “artists”. So deep the awareness of the Guggenheim museum owners has sunk that they offer these two the space for an exhibition about our future. It is obvious that the two artists do not even know the most basic information about soils, and how dangerous the situation now already is, without the stream of millions of city people who they want to live in the countryside. For everybody who wants to learn: “Soils“, at FutureLearn.

Rem Koolhaas and Samir Bantal may be honoured as brilliant ecological architects, but they are totally ignorant when it comes to deep ecology, to the fragile vulnerable eco-systems in the country side, when it comes to the dangerous behaviour of the unaware human being that lives life in a city. Save the countryside, save the planet, please stay away city people, or start first to learn about soils, nature, how to restore landscapes where these are degraded, polluted, or else. Learn to know Commonland.

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Commonland

If you want to do something, Rem Koolhaas and Samir Bantal, all who are interested in the future, contact Willem Ferwerda, and his team: these are the real artists. Their goal is to restore landscapes. There are plenty of the these! From the website “Commonland“:

Our mission

As initiator, catalyst and enabler of large-scale and long-term restoration initiatives, Commonland is on a mission to transform degraded landscapes into thriving ecosystems and communities based on sound business cases and aligned with international policies and guidelines.

Large-scale, long-term restoration

Since 2013, we have worked tirelessly to build a universal proof of concept that brings farmers, landowners, entrepreneurs, communities, nature organisations and legislators together to create real returns on investment per hectare. Called 4 Returns, this framework is capable of initiating, organising and following through on large-scale and long-term restoration initiatives that integrate ecology, land use and business.

UN Sustainable Development Goals

We are doers, not dreamers. Together with our partners we are committed to transforming 100 million hectares of degraded land into thriving ecosystems and communities by 2040. That’s an area twice the size of Spain – ambitious, but with the right partners and focus, definitely achievable. By supporting on-the-ground initiatives with our 4 Returns framework we believe we can contribute significantly to all UN Sustainable Development Goals and Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030).

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Additional

• NOS: Architect Rem Koolhaas wil aandacht voor stad naar ‘vergeten platteland’ verschuiven
• Dezeen: VDF and MPavilion present video talks with Rem Koolhaas, Carme Pinós, Glenn Murcutt and more
• Article: The Forgotten Pollution
• Wikipedia: Willem Ferwerda
• Wilderness in Norway and Europe: map
• Wilderness in Norway: website and maps
• Website: Ten tips to respect wildlife and stay safe
• Video: The Wild Within (British Columbia)
• Videos: Wilderness Walks With Ray Mears
• Videos: Bushcraft – Ray Mears
• Video: Bushcraft biological detergent and dishwashing liquid with ivy
• Ecomodernism – website / Note A.J.: ecomodernism has nothing in common with ecology. It only seems so.
• Arne Næss: The Shallow and the Deep

The header photo is a composition of two photos. 1: Hovsfjorden, watch on Multerland Flickr —- 2. Buildings and Cities landscape view of city buildings transparent background – website free download