Desert Landscapes
Why does the immensity of vast empty spaces attract modern man,
even though there is nothing to do there…?
The landscape gets lost in the distant horizon;
the evening sun transforms the terrain into a Martian landscape
imposing respect, as well as silence.
Almost as if to shout or cry in the presence of such a force would be forbidden.
I once tried to listen to this silence. Fortunately it does not exist …
There is always a sound in the deepest recesses of the ear that never stops vibrating.
In the Altiplano, the size of France,
There are few traces of animal life and water is scarce – it’s one of the driest places on the planet.
These conditions are difficult to withstand,
nevertheless one still wants to remain there for a long time.
A human being has a natural urge for discovery, an urge to create,
Passing their time during their brief stay on this planet, to leave the mark...
The following photos were taken during August 2007 in the north of Argentina and
Southern Bolivia at 3500 meters above sea-level.
The train cemetery is found nearby the city of Uyuni,
on the border of its salt flats between Potosí (in the center of Bolivia),
and the Chilean City of Antofagasta where minerals such as silver and copper are
exported to the rest of the world.
The construction of the first railway there dates from 1899.
The image of a simple locomotive was a symbol of progress for the villages and
the official opening ceremonies spread rapidly throughout the territory.
This transport by train had dire consequences, as it took away the minerals
leaving the region penniless.
The long-awaited funding never appeared.
In visiting this forgotten pantheon of oxidised iron,
allows oneself to imagine how these ruins were originally
trains that would journey endlessly to build a nation.
The feeling is similar to visiting the ancient ruins,
even though, in this case, they are merely fifty years old.