IN THE FRAME
“When a building is demolished so are its views! This thought struck me while I was photographing the demolition of social housing flats in inner-city Dublin. Once the buildings have been vacated and the demolition crews move in, and remove everything including windows, the once lived in flats become empty boxes with what appears like a lightbox on the wall. These light-filled gaps, left by the removal of the window, at first glance can look like paintings. Paintings that change their composition when viewed from different vantage points.
I find it impossible to enter a vacated flat without thinking of those who lived there over the generations. Thoughts stimulated by colours on the walls, or a sliver of wallpaper peeping out from a corner evoking a previous generation – I think of the many families who lived here? Where are they now? Have their children gone on, like many descendants of people from the flats, to forge out successful careers at home and abroad, or was their path different? Do they ever think about the flats and the relationship they had with them – the sense of community that is often talked about? Do they miss the view?
And then the reality that soon the view too will be gone. Demolished with the building…and its memories.”
Demolished Views is currently on exhibition as part of Rua Red spring show ‘‘Displacement and Belonging’ – Home which runs until Saturday April 22.
