The increase in coal mining in order to meet the growing demand for energy, is causing immense harm to the environment. Coal is a fossil fuel, which is responsible for high carbon emissions, whereas other sustainable options like solar energy and wind power are clean and renewable resources. In India, the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) has protected rich forest areas from coal mining by defining them as No Go zones. MoEF has succumbed to the pressure from the coal mining industry. Due to which, these forests have been drastically reduced from 320,684 to 140,311 hectares. If this industry has its way 1,500,000 acres of forested land will perish; hindering wildlife and depriving millions of people from their livelihoods. The consequences of such ecological imbalances would result in further greenhouse gas emissions and ensure greater climate change. (Source Greenpeace India, 2011)

The audio/video, NO GO, captures the devastation of our forests through the symbolic unravelling of fabric over a coarse surface of coal. This act of transformation reflects the importance and sustainability of our forests and/in our lives. In 2011, NO GO, was developed for ARTPORT_Cool Stories III – an international non-profit organization dealing with art and sustainability. In 2011, the audio/video was first screened as part of the touring group screening, ‘ARTPORT_Cool Stories III’ at Swiss Architecture Museum, Basel. The screening was a juried selection.