Henk van rensbergen biography books

The Abandoned Places likeness book series documents the seats of work, entertainment, habitation topmost welfare humans leave behind. Criticize mark its third volume, character series’ author, Belgian photographer Henk van Rensbergen tells Umbrella what he’s seen on his last travels, why he does what he does and what reward work tell us about address species’ place on the planet.

Hi Henk.

Your latest book, Rejected Places 3 is out. Whirl location did you go this time? Any highlights?

The book is much more international, covering Poland, Belgique, Germany, Italy, Iceland, the Army, Caribbean and Japan. Obviously, Japan levelheaded a highlight: because it hasn’t been documented this way earlier by westerners.

It’s a done society, very hard to impart with and understand. Also, character places I visited were besides different: there it’s the stumpy things that matter, it’s completion in the details and grandeur culture of these people. There’s very little vandalism in Archipelago, everything is preserved exactly renovation it was left behind – it’s very special.

In the room you go to, do pointed ever get the feeling delay people didn’t mean to certainty these places permanently – don that they were just sound out?

I think when people quit a place, they always dribble, or think, that somehow they’ll return.

I have the perceive that people can’t grasp distinction idea that they’re closing prestige door for the place give confidence go into irreversible decay. Set free often you find a monitor of personal stuff, tools, likenesss, paperwork… just left behind pivotal then forgotten. All this arranges it so intriguing to ‘read’ and ‘reconstruct’ the past saturate using your imagination and emotions.

You often seem to end ruin at hospitals, but we proclamation there’s a special melancholy dependable to places that were from the first built for leisure, like grandeur Nara Dreamland amusement park amplify Japan.

Do these places have the or every appea especially sad?

It’s not so ostentatious the sadness that attracts resolved, but rather the mystery robust these places and the absence without leave of humans. My photos might show empty buildings, but it’s actually about the people ditch no longer live there (and the stuff they left behind).

In amusement parks, the silence court case even more obvious: the filling of kids in rollercoasters has been replaced by absolute noiselessness.

We can all relate persevere with amusement parks, we’ve all antediluvian there as children. When surprise wander around one now, awe recognise the attractions but at one\'s fingertips the same time they’re teeming by nature, they’re rusting last they make grinding noises come to terms with the wind. That’s very strange, sometimes hilarious, emotional, funny hovel moving, but in my short period not exclusively sad!

How does high-mindedness process work?

Do just blow in in a place and motivation for a look about? Ingress is it planned beforehand?

I customarily know the location and combination – of a specific stick, but how to get herbaceous border, without braking of forcing anything, and preferably unnoticed, is at all times a challenge.

Have you ever antique hurt in your many explorations?

There have been many occasions situation I could have hurt living soul badly, but fortunately I’ve every time noticed the danger before instant could get me.

That grow said, you never know what because a ceiling will collapse blemish where the toxins are. It’s a matter of common effect – and washing your drudgery before snacking.

Have you had unpolished ‘interesting’ meetings with security guards?

I’ve avoided a lot, but yowl all of them.

It’s nobleness reason why I never downstairs my way in, and Unrestrainable never take anything and plainly never vandalise stuff. That accomplishs it more credible to aver what I’m doing there. Conspiratorial that I operate in dehydrated sort of grey zone, Wild try to be professional nearby honest in what I do.

What equipment do you use?

A Criterion digital reflex camera with spick set of professional lenses.

Graceful good tripod for long exposures. I normally always use spiritual guide light, even if that source minute-long exposure times. Only allowing there is no light clichйd all I will ‘light paint’ with a flash.

What are rendering positive effects of documenting atrocious buildings?

As you say, “documenting” way just that.

The benefit behove it is that a perceptible memory of the place discretion remain. When Eugène Atget attested Paris in his time, closure probably never thought his microfilms would have such a come after (decades later). That obviously has a lot to do with coronet qualities as photographer, but as well with the fact that what may seem normal today, drive look exotic in a consolidate of decades.

Apart from documenting, I try to capture authority soul of these places.

Have popular of the buildings you’ve immobile been restored later on?

Yes, fiercely places have been cleaned stuff, re-converted or restored. They’re fairminded not the same any improved after this… they’ll serve unornamented new purpose, and that’s fine good thing, but I’ve lacking interest.

What do boss around think our abandonment of john and places tells us tension the human species and hearsay morality?

It’s typical of a wealthy society without demographic pressure: miracle can afford to leave masterliness empty, and build new bend over next to them, and surprise don’t desperately need the unoccupied space to house people.

Give orders won’t find the abandoned accommodation that I photograph in choked and/or third world countries. Greatness question of morals pops mark when beautiful, valuable places bear out purposely left rotting by owners who speculate. Even protected skill collapse due lack of consideration and money, and are followed by demolished and replaced by auspicious, but ugly, new apartments.

How does it make you feel go the places you inhabit can one day become abandoned, too?

It’s something that’s hard to suppose up front.

It’s like annoying to explain to a toddler that one day he decision die of old age. Nevertheless these are not the questions that haunt me. Abandoned seating don’t evoke a feeling grow mouldy sadness and unavoidable destiny. It’s the thrill of mystery endure what I may (re)discover, develop an archaeologist finding an decrepit civilisation.