Artwork Mind Frame

The definition of the word ‘ruin’ marks a state of decay, which in some cases may seem evident when the abandonment of certain spaces is prolonged in time and natural erosion has intervened over long periods. But in contemporary society determining what is in a state of ruin is more complicated than it seems.

How can we define the moment when spaces are abandoned when they are constantly intervened? In cities, old industrial structures or vestiges of other times have become monuments and heritage sites. The ruins are restored and it becomes a tourist attraction. Urban growth constantly redefines its own landscape and invades rural territory. The apparently abandoned spaces do not stop receiving visits from onlookers, photography lovers, painters, or graffiti artists who leave traces of a globalized society. But it is the charm of the aesthetics of decadence that is part of the identity and expression of many people.

So at what point can we currently define a state of ruin, if ruin is also part of the construction process? Culture changes and architecture redefines the landscape. Either by simple changes of interests between different generations or because new power dynamics are imposed. We can speak about the reused places or devastating territories by wars that are rebuilt. But is the ruin everything that is in the process of decay or is it everything in a state of reconstruction?

The most interesting and profound is what the contemplation of the ruins provokes in us. In how it leads us to face our past and, consequently, to question the value of our existence.

Jofre Oliveras