Let's explore together!
Hi! My name is Sam, I’m French and I’ve been around the world for 4 years. I’m not really a coconut trees and vanilla ice creams type of guy. I’m most likely to be found in abandoned or quirky places.
Urbex is a travel in time – while already traveling abroad. Small details can provide an understanding of years of history. It’s only you in the decrepit room but major events of humanity are actually looking upon. Urbex connects us with the large history of humanity.
When young I was drowning all nights in the books of Tintin, Jules Verne and Blake and Mortimer. Not only the characters were my heroes, but their stories also raised some questions about my political identity by broaching themes such as the 20th century in Europe, the industrialization, the fall of the Empires and the rise of new powers.
I’ve kept exploring our cultural myths and political constructions through urbex and traveling. How did the former dictature in Albania change the use of trains? What memories remain from the Komsomols in post-USSR countries? How did oil change Kuwaiti society? Who owns the former Yugoslavian factories?
I think it’s important to question what has always appeared as obvious to us and accept that it’s actually just fragile perspectives among so many others. And sometimes it’s great to let them away and move on. I think it’s important to have heroes but it’s even more important to admit that they can be wrong.
Political constructions and historical and cultural myths evolve or disappear. Societies adapt to the diversity of our identities, knowledge, beliefs and needs. I’m sure that curiosity, change and alterity are the essence of living together. That’s what I see in urbex.
So... Let's explore together!