Desert Gate, 2006-2009 by Florian Joye (June 9, 2010) 
(17 votes, average: 3.53 out of 5)
Loading ...
Categories / Cityscapes / Constructed Landscape / / Click here to open comments section, click again when done to close / Comments Off
Introduction by Nathalie Herschdorfer
Dubai is known for its architectural follies – in the city, the sea and the desert. The vision of its architecture alternates between utopia and excess, seduction and vanity. Florian Joye, who is fascinated by science fiction and other novels that anticipate the future while remaining closely tied to reality, decided to travel to the emirate to explore the margins of the built environment. His photographs show the back streets of a city that mainly imagines itself through computergenerated imagery and grand models. Nathalie Herschdorfer is curator of the Musée de l’Elysée in Lausanne, Switzerland, click logo in sidebar to visit the museum’s website.
Next / A Place Where You Can’t Say No / Previous / Ironic Allusions To Our Relationship With The Desert /
Our poll "A photo essay always needs a great written story" closed. 267 people voted, 28% agrees, 72% disagrees. 233 people answered our follow-up question "Are you a photographer?" 82% indicated they are, 18% said no. Initially, negative answers to question #1 were almost 100% as was the pecentage of photographers among respondants. Then, when the level of non-photographers started to rise, the percentage of people indicating good text is always essential started to rise too. This seems to indicate that non-photographers think that adding good text to your photo essays is essential. In my opinion: if you want non-photographers to dig your work, you know what to do...
The final chapter in experiencing the extraordinary…. Dubai Properties slogan.
“My son, there will be a post petrodollar economy in Arabia and it will be up to you create it.” That is what Sheikh Maktoum’s father said in 1990, shortly before his death.
I chose the United Arab Emirates to work on, and especially Dubai, for a variety of reasons.
After googling Dubai on the net, my curiosity and interest were drawn to the confusing mass of Dubai images that can be found there.
The vast juxtaposition of virtual images, scale models and augmented reality of which there were many more than real pictures of Dubai is confusing. The idea of the city preceded its reality.
My fascination for this new city caught between utopia and excessiveness, pride and seduction is the palpable reality of the purpose o f Sheikh Maktoum.
All of this brought me back to my love of science fiction, the novels of J-G Ballard and their narrow links to reality.
In Dubai the virtual appears as a dimension of the real, designed to replace it, to challenge its limits.
Dubai replays the world in the most universal way as far as knowledge, culture and entertainment are concerned.
Dubai plunges into the show and stuns the visitor and makes him doubt his perception of its reality. Hollywood, Disneyland, Silicon Valley, Las Vegas and Miami have become scale models of this civilization which creates territory on the sea and conquers the desert.
All of this guided my work during my trip in terms of images.
Florian Joye (1979) lives and works in Préverenges, Switzerland.
Click weblink florianjoye.com or browse our archives
Out now! 50pm new issue
Sports Issue Magazine App
Posted in category 82
