mit Texten von Robert Polidori, Thomas J. Sugrue

Over the past genera­tion Detroit has suffered econo­mi­cally worse than any other of the major American cities and its rampant urban decay is now glaringly apparent during this current reces­sion. Yves Marchand and Romain Meffre documented this disin­te­gra­tion, showca­sing struc­tures that were formerly a source of civic pride, and which now stand as monuments to the city’s fall from grace.

“Ruins are the visible symbols and landmarks of our socie­ties and their changes, small pieces of history in suspen­sion. The state of ruin is temporary by nature, the volatile result of the end of an era and the fall of empires. This fragi­lity, the time elapsed but even so running fast, lead us to watch them one very last time: being dismayed, or admiring, wonde­ring about the perma­nence of things. Photo­graphy appeared to us as a modest way to keep a little bit of this ephemeral state.”