The Old Salmiya at The Turn of The 21st Century

The Brief ( Master Thesis ):
The art of urban decay photography documents the aging effects on forgotten buildings or cities which were abandoned or become under threat of demolishment after they had been a centre of human activities for usually political and economical or social reasons.

This time of imagery evoke the sense of human presence by photographing destructed, rotten or dusty still objects. In this project, this method will be used to document changes in the are of the old Salmiya in Kuwait during the transition period of the the twenty first century.

Background:
Kuwait is known for it’s physical instability over decades. Particularly, since the emergence of the oil in Kuwait during the fifties. This economic prosperity has suffered a number of financial and political crises. As for Salmiya as both commercial and residential aria, which has been the centre of attraction to investors, it is the first of areas affected by these crises.

Architecture change is normal in all regions. But the expense of that change has always been the loss of historically valuable places and buildings that prove the historical stages of the renaissance of the country.

Moreover, in 1960 a law was issued requiring the state to protect the historical sites considering all that had been built before 1920 is of historic value and should not be touched. However, the law was not applied properly, and there was no list of these sites until 1980 after demolishing most of them.

The law needs renovation. It is unreasonable to ignore one of the most important eras of Kuwait’s post-emergence stage of oil when was a concomitant change in the composition of population, as well as a marked recovery in economic life and art movements in that time. In a country like Kuwait, this would never be accomplished unless somebody spot the light on that issue attempting to attract the media to raise awareness of citizens and deliver the message to the appropriate stakeholders and decision makers. It is too late for Salmiya to be saved yet there’s still chance to save other sites in Kuwait.

Tone of Voice:
Sorrow, abandonment, loss of childhood memories, instability. dusty, rusty.

Those ideas will transport the viewer from the case of grief and sympathy to the desire of change when reasons are understood and facts are told by public figures not by the government if insistence an support are available.

Considerations:
Demonstrate instability in the area by photographing your observations that reflect the contradictions of the urban demolition and reconstructing, or exposing on the shops that are yet to be closing and moving.
I work under the umbrella of documentary to record the identity of the place, sense of time, emphasise temporal instability and confirm contradictions. For this I had to include documentary style pictures that haven’t taken by using urban decay technique.

Further Instructions:
All interviewed must be portrayed. At least one characteristic feature should be shown in his or her photographic portrait.

Influence:
Robert Polidori considered as one of the world leading architectural photographers. His photographers reveals the soul of its various subjects and what the walls have layered. he depicts the traces of human existence, and he always seeks for contradictions, and juxtaposition of past and present. He loves natural light. He uses long exposure technique to photograph stills in law light conditions. I am fascinated by his raw knowledge of dealing with the colour circle and complementary colours.

Target Audience:
Intellectuals who are interested History of Kuwait who attend the Qurain Cultural Festival which is held annually, on December,  and organised by the National Council of Culture and Arts, the directly responsible for the protection of historic properties in the State of Kuwait. Also, this book is an interest the photographic documentary books collectors.
The book aims to address the feelings of fulfillment and belonging to the past between Kuwaiti intellectuals who are interested in history and wish to correct the local political situation. It is also designed to be easily read by decision makers in Kuwait who can change this law. To demolish  a building without antagonization is acceptable. But to witness the destruction of a whole city with carelessness can not be tolerated. I can not make change my self. But I can be the trigger by drawing attention to the current situation.

The following photographs are a selection from the book. By clicking on each image, you’ll be viewing a full analytical description

Criteria
The western concept of urban decay photography is not fully compatible with the nature of urban decay in dry countries and desert environment. Warm and faded colours are predominant. The abundance of light makes using tripod is unneeded to some extent. There is no chance for mold to grow. Even rust is usually coated with layers of dust. For this, it is appropriate to focus on shadows and both the degree and  the direction of the light reflected on surfaces to enrich the image by rendering forms and texture to compensate the lack of colour as it’s extremely significant in urban decay photography to emphasise the mood.

Note: Many visitors are interested in purchasing the book. This book is not  yet available officially to the public. Please Contact me for further information.