The Ardennes region is a time capsule. Ever since the major industry moved to the bigger cities , this region has fallen into a state of impermanence. The inhabitants that remain often rely on the land and the few riches it offers. Hunting , mining and the lumber industry are still the main sources of income.
What once was’’ is an ongoing documentation of my encounters in this region. An attempt to visually capture the often mythological feeling that lurks in it’s backroads.
It’s a meditation on the passing of time and humans in relation to their environment. Life and death are irrevocably present, sketching a melancholic but realistic picture of a region that once was thriving.
In the same breath it displays the many faces that despite the odds being stacked against them , chose to stay loyal and faithful to the forest and hills that surround them.
