BRUYNEEL TJORVEN
BENEATH OUR FEET
Each day, we leave behind a trail of what we no longer need -discarded items, sorted piles, buried remnants. Waste is not just a byproduct of our existence; it reflects our habits, desires, and the systems we’ve built.
From the refuse-filled streets of the Middle Ages to today’s carefully designed landfills, our relationship with waste has constantly evolved. Industrialization, plastic, and the disposable culture have deepened the divide between what we use and what we truly value.
In Belgium, each person produces a staggering amount of waste, visible in our bins, but often hidden beneath the surface. Beneath parks, industrial sites, government buildings, and solar parks, there are more than 2,500 historical landfill sites in Flanders alone - some toxic, some sealed, and others slowly returning to nature.
This photo series explores the tension between concealment and transformation: how landscapes once built from waste are coming back to life, and how those places carry both damage and potential.
Vacant land in Ghent, where household waste was buried in the past, with a slightly contaminated subsoil.
A playground in Leuven was previously used as a dumping site for household waste, leading to minor soil contamination.
The cultural center De Leest in Izegem was built on a former household waste landfill, resulting in slight soil contamination.
Vacant land in Ghent, where household waste was buried in the past, with a slightly contaminated subsoil.