There is something aesthetic, even moving, about the images of devastation in the popular end-times series The Last of Us, and this fascination with abandoned places even has a name: “ruin porn”. At the University of Montreal, a student dedicated her dissertation to him.
Posted at 11:30am
When she first saw photos of abandoned buildings, Julianne Pilon was blindsided. Even moved.
PHOTO EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, LA PRESSE ARCHIVE
The ruins of Fisher Body Plant 21 in Detroit, June 2014
Something dark and at the same time of great beauty enlivened the shots. “These were great photos, strong in emotions. I thought to myself, “What is this?” “, She says. Intrigued, she dedicated her master’s thesis to her at the University of Montreal, which she recently completed.
Abandoned hospitals and amusement parks, overgrown buildings: “Ruinenpornos” describes photos and videos of abandoned places that are shared online. Its enthusiasts especially love the ruins of the post-industrial era. Don’t think of the Colosseum in Rome, which is cared for and protected, notes Julianne Pilon.
PHOTO EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, LA PRESSE ARCHIVE
The Fisher Body Plant 21 closed in 1993 and has become a mecca for “ruin porn” in Detroit. The factory, which once belonged to GM, is to be converted into a building complex. Here in June 2014.
The main focus is devotion. There is mold, broken windows, rust, greenery. The lack of maintenance is visible.
Julianne Pilon, a graduate of the University of Montreal who dedicated her master’s thesis to the topic “ruin porn”.
The phenomenon is linked to urban exploration, which consists in visiting forgotten places, sometimes taboo. Urban Explorers regularly document their forays into social media, especially Instagram.
These communities, which are active around the world, even in Quebec, were previously marginal, explains Ms. Pilon. However, since the advent of social networks, they have exploded in popularity. On Instagram, accounts dedicated to photographing ruins reach several million subscribers. The itsabandoned account is among the most popular, being followed by over a million people.
“It’s interesting to see that people still try to leave their mark there, even after these places have been abandoned,” notes Julianne Pilon.
“Fetishizing” devastation
PHOTO EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, LA PRESSE ARCHIVE
Completely abandoned in the late 1990s, The Packard Automobile Plant, which produced luxury cars up until the late 1950s, has taken on the appearance of a post-apocalyptic city. Here in June 2014.
Associated with an art form, however, the expression “ruinenporno” arose from criticism. In the 1980s, several industrial American cities, particularly in the country’s Midwest, experienced catastrophic economic decline, explains Julianne Pilon. Poverty is growing, factories are closing and workers are deserting.
PHOTO EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, LA PRESSE ARCHIVE
The walls of abandoned buildings serve as canvases for graffiti artists and taggers. Pictured is the Fisher Body Plant 21 in Detroit in June 2014.
PHOTO EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, LA PRESSE ARCHIVE
The dilapidated restrooms at St. Agnes Church in Detroit in June 2014
1/2
In Detroit, derelict factories and derelict buildings provide a somber backdrop worthy of the best post-apocalyptic works, and attract tourists who begin to flock. These curious visitors are quickly accused of “fetishizing” the brutal demise of a city and its residents who have lost “their jobs and their homes.”
“People lived and worked here. If they are abandoned, it is because something happened to these people,” emphasizes Julianne Pilon. Even today, one of the main criticisms of “ruin porn” is that it ignores the often tragic story behind the scenes of devastation: natural disaster, war, economic crisis…
We don’t say where, what happened. It’s a somewhat morbid fascination with death and devastation.
Julianne Pilon, a graduate of the University of Montreal who dedicated her master’s thesis to the topic “ruin porn”.
Powerful images
Obviously we can appreciate the beauty and sometimes the power of these images. The sets of The Last of Us series, which takes place in a world decimated by a rare mushroom that turns people into zombies, are great, points out Julianne Pilon. Based on the video game of the same name, the HBO production, the final episode of the first season of which premieres on Sunday, is a global hit.
IMAGE SUPPLIED BY HBO
A scene of devastation from The Last of Us series
According to Ms. Pilon, post-apocalyptic films and video games are not so popular for nothing. Like ruin porn, they raise the eternal question of what will survive us.
It is a window into our future when man will no longer be there. There is a sense of helplessness at the loss and what we are leaving behind.
Julianne Pilon, a graduate of the University of Montreal who dedicated her master’s thesis to the topic “ruin porn”.
Is there a connection between “ruin porn” and our relationship to heritage? Yes, Julianne Pilon believes. For example, Quebec has far less derelict land than the United States because the province is putting more effort into restoring or remodeling it. “This makes me proud because I see that we are a society that is heavily revitalizing these spaces as opposed to others,” she concludes.