During my travels, I visit a lot of things. One of my favorite things to discover is URBEX, abandoned buildings. It can be anything, from an old house to a factory. From a haunted hotel to a never finished resort. Mostly these places are also full of graffiti art. What is it that I like so much about these locations? Why do I feel attracted to these lost places? Yesterday I was siting on a dune, watching the sunset. I turned around and looked at some abandoned structures. There was wall art on it. One of the graffiti parts had the word ‘love’ in it, something I feel like needing at the moment. It made me think…
With sunsets even the darkest souls will become colorful
The Past
As a kid I was playing in old buildings, bunkers, old fortresses, ruins etc. I liked it, is was a bit mysterious and adventurous. Like my personality. I wanted to discover, what was on the inside. These places were left behind and given up. Not taken care of. But they had a history and mostly a very interesting story. Who was listening to them? Those places were pushed away, overgrown, forgotten and sometimes taken down. Some were blocked with concrete to avoid to be entered. To avoid people entering and experience the inside. Aren’t we doing the same with people? When someone has a certain history or is a bit weird and mysterious, they are pushed away and avoided. People lock themselves, because of the opinion of others. When there is a bit of darkness on the inside, it should not be kept in there. Share the inner soul.
An abandoned factory in the North of Spain
I played a lot in these locations and I am still alive. Ok, I have a nice scar on my hand, from a little accident. I was at the wrong moment at the wrong place. There was a huge broken piece of glass window coming towards my face, as a reflex I blocked my face with a fist. The glass took my skin, cut one of my veins and showed my bones. It bled heavily and it was a good lesson at a young age. It’s the same with unknown encounters with people, you can get hurt in your emotions. But it will not stop me for being social. I know when to end a certain situation.
An old fortress I crawled in recently, but alos as a kid I did this. Exploring the unknown
The Present
These days I hike almost daily. During the hikes I see old buildings or I see them somewhere on a map. Sometimes from a distance I see something I would like to explore. I try to find a path. Every building is different. From a small shed to a huge complex. There is always a way to get in. Afterwards I'll try to find more information about the location visited. Places can be full of rubbish, old furniture, empty bottles, mattresses etc. Graffiti is the thing that gives these places an extra vibe. Some of the wall art is stunning. I even starting to recognize certain artists when I see wall art at different locations. Some tag their work with a name, some put a similar formation in every piece of art. The text written on the walls can be a reflection of your own current feelings. Yesterday I looked at this building with the word ‘LOVE’ on the wall. It’s was a building in the middle of a chaotic environment. Not taken care of. Grey colors, damage on several parts. Full of colorful interesting creativity. Forgotten, hiding between the bush, close to the ocean and enjoying daily sunsets. It made me reflect. No matter how damaged I feel sometimes, how many traumas I dealt with in the past…I am still standing. I do have many colorful stories. My soul is still alive. I like to be close to the ocean and enjoy the sunsets and I want hear other people’s stories. This is what I do when the opportunity arises. And when someone looks at you closely, the beauty of the unknown personality really becomes apparent.
This house is in the middle of the city of Setúbal. Nobody looks at it and walk by every day. But it definitely has a story to tell
The future
The same as with those abandoned buildings, it should not be taken down. It could be rebuild and improved. And the wall art? I should not even remove it. It gives an extra story and makes things look more colorful. People’s attention will be attracted from a far distance, so why remove it? Also the angles and techniques used for these pieces of art, can be something to learn from. The words can remember you which way to go. I don’t like this cheap interior signs, that you can buy in every random store with “Home” and that kind of stuff. But a proper piece of art, is special, can impress and leave a mark. I don't have any tattoos yet, but it's also a way to show a story of you...without talking.
This old monastery in Monchique looks abandoned, but it is not. THere is a family living here. Not only a family of lost cats, but a real Portuguese family, that turned this ruin into their farm
This unfinished vila in the Algarve has a future. And also a lot of messages to tell. There is even a donkey outside the building that is inviting you and loves attention. The waves bring 'PEACE', for me that's is absolutely true
How I look ahead into the future? No matter how damaged it can be, something and someone can still have a beautiful soul and colorful stories. Don’t take it down, look at it, visit, listen and enjoy. At the moment I don’t know where I will live the coming period. But when I will have a normal house again, it will be remarkable and tell a story. There are enough abandoned souls these days, but why? There is always someone that can help rebuilding it. Being lost is not a bad thing, you just need to get back on track again.
My future? I don't want to end up like a grey pigeon in an old charge lookjing outside in a dark place. But hey, at least these pigeons are socializing
I almost forgot to show the place I mentioned in the introduction. Can you find the word 'LOVE'