Above the Manhartsberg, 2017—ongoing

The project “Above the Manhartsberg” addresses the balance between people and their environment. The geographical location is not significant in this sense. What is important in this conceptual work are the abandoned villages that “grow out” of fields, the feeling of abandonment, as if one is left alone by the youth who are already slowly migrating to the big city. The future of the small towns will be decided in the next few years. The future is the young people; when they leave, the small town dies.

The central meaning of these photographs is the rudimentary interaction between people and the landscape. The aim is to show the feeling and atmosphere of life in the Waldviertel region. The analog photographs in this work were taken over several years and on numerous road trips through the Waldviertel.