explore
"Several years ago, I had this massive spiritual moment inside a dead mall in Georgia"
-Tag Christof, Photographer
It can be hard to perceive the speed at which we, as a society, build, tear down and redevelop urban spaces these days. It happens so fast that designs and architecture that, despite only being a few decades old, are already near extinction. Urbex photographers act as historians, documenting and preserving culture in the face of redevelopers far more concerned with the value of the land something’s built on. “Several years ago, I had this massive spiritual moment inside a dead mall in Georgia,” says Christof. “It was completely gutted and all entrances were sealed off by cinderblock walls, but I was alone inside in total silence as a single shaft of pure sunlight streamed in from a hole in the ceiling. It was every bit as beautiful and solemn and peaceful as the most magnificent cathedral and in that moment, inside that huge former monument to capitalism and consumption, I realized that all the powerful forces that seem to run our society are actually transitory and surmountable and changeable.”
"There’s an element of
respect and appreciation for long-forgotten architecture."
-Tag Christof, Photographer
It’s not just about the rush of capturing images of somewhere so hidden. There’s an element of respect and appreciation for long-forgotten architecture. “Most of the abandoned and run-down spaces in America and Britain (and the rest of Europe for that matter) were designed by Modernist architects, with all these big ideals and hopes for humanity embedded in them,” explains
Tag Christof, (@americaisdead). “It’s a completely different architecture from the cynical, calculating, cost-saving, neoliberal architecture of today: a grand Victor Gruen shopping mall from 1960 is something completely different from a Westfield of 2017.”
“The adrenaline rush through the entire excursion is crazy, but the feeling when you get back out, safe and with your images, that's the best part.”
Thanks to the proliferation of digital image and the
ever-rising presence of ‘The City’ in popular consciousness, we’ve recently seen a boom in urban exploration and photography.
-Ron Timehin, Photographer
Derelict buildings have become the canvasses on which a new generation of artists are creating powerful images that redefine the urban landscape and call into question our relationship with our environments. “The adrenaline rush through the entire excursion is crazy, but the feeling when you get back out, safe and with your images, that's the best part.,” explains Ron Timehin, (@rontimehin) and urban explorer, or ‘urbex’, and photographer whose shots paint a disarmingly sophisticated, yet eerie picture of contemporary London. The thrill of discovery, of gaining access to these secret spaces nestled in the heart of the metropolis is a significant draw for urban photographers. “Getting into these places isn’t easy. It often involves being very discreet whilst also being very careful,” he says.
THE URBAN WASTELAND
Creatives discuss the potential of the
unexplored city as a canvas.
adidas NMD Presents
