From a Changed North

Work In Progress

From a Changed North documents the changing face of Germany's formerly industrial Ruhrgebiet - my place of birth and estranged home of many years. Here, the nation's economic strength is not visible.

This area is writing itself a new chapter. There it is, hovering hollow – a ghost about town. Small business has been replaced with cheap and expansive discount chain-store culture. Billboards are rotting, playgrounds neglected, houses are empty and Kiosks are closed. For the city's vast ageing population, the reality of post-industrial growth is far from glossy. The promise of shifting the area's identity from industrialism to modern technology has left people behind, and regional cities are in decline.

Now, everyone and everything seem to be waiting for something.