What about urbex ?
Why photography ?
With my camera, I travel the country tirelessly to find things that attract me.
And yet, initially, I was not interested more than that in photography. I regularly accompanied a friend fan of aviation during
his shootings around the country, and this, since the beginning of this century.
Little by little, I realized that I liked that.
What is urbex ?
Urban exploration, or urbex, is an activity consisting of visiting places, abandoned or not, generally prohibited from access, or
at least hidden or difficult to access.
“Tourism” of a new kind, this activity has unfortunately been booming for several years. The media coverage and the hype are
turning this confidential passion into a Sunday hobby for all-comers. And inevitably with the associated drifts : theft, deliberate
damage, tags, fires, places invaded by the world, negative prejudices on the discipline, etc.
Like our beautiful society, urban exploration is plagued by the same ills, namely an unhealthy competitive spirit, the lack of respect
(both for the places visited and for other urbexers) or even a thirst for recognition which leads to the two previous points.
It's sad but I've learned to live with it. And those who wouldn't agree with me, fuck them.
For any other question, doubt, unacknowledged desire, stupid a priori or other about urban exploration, I refer you to the essential FAQ
Why urbex ?
I started urban exploration - without knowing it - in the early 90's
Visiting forgotten castles, sewers and abandoned factories, I already had an attraction for derelicted places. Unfortunately,
at that time, digital cameras didn’t exist and I didn’t keep any record of these visits, except my memories...
Then, the exploration's passion went out with the disappearance of the places visited.
Until the day it revived, in 2004, when I came across an American website about urban exploration
But I was just a spectator. It was not until the end of 2011 that I definitely returned to the wastelands and other forgotten places.
A passion of almost 30 years isn't about to die out.
Keep track
In addition to the unique sensations that urban exploration gives me (being alone in the world, calm, silence, adrenaline), this activity also
allows me to keep a memory of a heritage (artistic, cultural or industrial) that modernity strives to make disappear, or in the case of visits
to castles or houses, to immortalize traditions or a certain art of living that present and future generations will never know.
Even if they deny themselves, the authorities have a tendency to erase traces of the past, and this only for the sake of profit : look at the number
of apartment blocks being built everywhere. Now is not the time for preservation but for densification and urban exploration allows us to keep
track of what our environment used to be.
Likewise, I don't like the turn our society is taking (from all points of view ), and urban exploration allows me to immerse the time of a visit
in a bygone era.
Good viewing.
Addendum
A few comments- For the sake of preservation, I don't distribute address. No need to beg.
-
For the unconscious who would like to learn the art of urbex (or those who have already started but who are bad in the discipline, that
is to say a lot of people), I offer kindly a urbex guide absolutely essential
Thanks to this guide, you may be able to approach my level. But just to approach it, don't dream ! -
Urban exploration involves legal risks. The fact that a place is abandoned doesn't give you all the rights, far from it !
To give you a little idea on the subject, consult the few articles of law on this page -
More seriously, I hate thugs, taggers, vandals, thieves and other ill-intentioned assholes.
So a word to the wise.
Condition of places visited
When you browse through the various explorations below, you will find an icon indicating the supposed status of the place visited. The status of the places visited will be updated as far as possible. In urbex, the truth of one day is not necessarily that of the next day.
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Visitable
The place still exists, at least according to the last I heard.
But this status doesn't guarantee that you will find this place in the same condition as in the pictures below or that its visit will be possible. -
Locked
The spot still exists too.
But since my visit, it has been securely locked and access is now an impossible task. -
Unknown condition
It's impossible to know the exact condition of a place from day to day, especially since the lifespan of abandoned places has drastically decreased.
To find out if the place still exists or not, you will have to go and see for yourself. -
Demolished
The title is pretty self-explanatory, isn't it ?
This category also includes spots that have been totally lost because they have been massacred by the fucking “new wave” of explorers (fire, tags, vandalism, theft, etc.). -
Reconverted
Sometimes an abandoned place finds new life.
No need to waste your time or risk disturbing the new occupants of this place.
