New exhibition about historic battleground explores the ecological legacy of war

The three-year interdisciplinary project explores the enduring ecological and social impacts of armed conflict through a 'more-than-human' lens. By combining archaeological, historicaland ethnographic approaches, the research examines how war and state violence leave lasting scars on people, landscapesand ecosystems.

Ecologies of Violencefocuses on conflict legacies in Paraguay, Laos, and France, with the exhibition at Vimy highlighting the French case study. This work centreson the so-called 'red zone' at Vimy Ridge - an area devastated by First World War combat and long deemedtoo contaminated for human habitation. Today, this cordoned-off forested site stands as a poignant example of what the project terms 'involuntary heritage' - places where unwanted and often toxic remnants silently persist, shaping the futures of both humans and non-humans.

Developed in collaboration with Veterans Affairs Canadaand The Durand Group, and supported by postdoctoral researcher Dr Matthew Leonard, the exhibition invites visitors to consider the entangled legacies of war and nature. Through 3D laser scans, archival materialsand an atmospheric film-poem Zone Rouge / Red Zone: Back Forest Reflectionsby artist Antony Lyons, the exhibition creates a reflective space where destruction and regeneration co-exist.

Dr Breithoffcommented:

"Ecologies of Violencechallenges traditional views of heritage as something inherently positiveand fragile by highlighting the enduring, often harmful impacts of war on both human and non-human environments. Through interdisciplinary research and artistic expression, it explores how violent landscapes-like the Vimy Ridge red zone forest-become, what I call,involuntary heritagesites that force people and ecosystems to adapt to trauma. We hope that the exhibition prompts reflection on global issues such as pollution, while also emphasisinghuman and environmental resilience."

The work has already had a profound impact on those who have experienced it. Attendees Anne and Fabrice Dubuc of the Association des Amis du Monument Canadien de Vimy shared:

"From the very first images of your work, a spellbinding atmosphere took hold. The site of Vimy, so steeped in history, became under your gaze and your soundtrack a space of contemplation, poetry, almost healing… It was like a tale - or better still, an ode. An ode to nature, resilient, silent but alive."

Ecologies of Violencewill travel to Birkbeck's Peltz Galleryin autumn 2025, offering UK audiences the opportunity to engage with this timelyand thought-provoking exploration of heritage, memoryand environmental transformation in the aftermath of war.

• Vimy visitor education centre

• Ecologies of Violence project