Shortly after work at this large steel complex stopped, the first photographs from the factory appeared. In early spring 2013, we went to take a look too. Once inside, I discovered that my tripod was still in the car. Not ideal in a dark steelworks.
With some improvisation, I managed to take photographs anyway. Not every shot is technically as good as the others. I still show them here because they preserve an early stage of the vacancy.
When we returned in 2015, outbuildings and loose materials had disappeared. The dismantling was becoming increasingly obvious. Behind such a photogenic complex is another story too: the work that disappeared, and the people and region that depended on it.
The photographs show heavy machinery, pipework and large halls where traces of dismantling are already visible. Small details really convey the scale. A control panel almost lost in a wide view turns out to be a whole subject in itself close up. The limitations of this first visit are part of the series. The later visit also shows why returning could be worthwhile.
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