Relics of the Future – Work in Progress
In the transition from the ‘machine age’ to the era of new forms of transport, ‘Relics of the Future’ examines global vehicle culture.
Which cars and vehicles are driven in different regions? What economic and cultural factors play a role? What are the differences and similarities between different regions?
I am looking for answers to these questions by making portraits of cars and other vehicles with their drivers and passengers in different countries.
Innovation
The mass motorisation of the 20th century has changed the world dramatically. A billion-dollar industry has developed that keeps delivering new models again and again. Worldwide, traffic has increased enormously, resulting in environmental pollution and inner-city congestion.
In recent decades, there has been a shift in thinking about mobility. An explosion of technological innovations is turning today’s vehicle culture on its head. The era of the polluting combustion engine – the ‘machine age’ – is coming to an end, and cars are becoming environmentally friendly (electric), self-driving and shared with others. Everything associated with vehicles and cars is changing.
Vehicles are industrial and cultural heritage. Relics of the Future documents this before it disappears from the street scene. It is also a timeline that runs from the handcart to the electric car.
Culture
The project has a sociological and anthropological angle. A vehicle is primarily functional, but it also tells us about the user’s ‘identity’. Who drives which vehicle is determined economically and culturally. In some countries, a vehicle is primarily functional. In other countries, there is a popular car culture that focuses on individuality and status. The car is a bastion of personal freedom and a reflection of the driver’s identity. What does a vehicle tell us about status, culture, and society? To find out, I make portraits of a vehicle with the driver (and passengers) from all walks of life that represent the symbiosis between man and machine.
White backdrop
All vehicles are portrayed on a large white backdrop with their users. The portraits are taken from the same angle and under the same lighting conditions. This rigid typological form emphasises the symbiosis between vehicle and driver. This gives the viewer space for identification and comparison of people and their means of transport in different regions.
In the next stage other regions with a different vehicle culture will follow.