Amid the frenzied bustle that’s metropolis life, it may be troublesome—and even harmful—to cease and observe what occurs above avenue degree. For French photographer Romain Jacquet-Lagrèze, although, seeking to the higher flooring of residential buildings and industrial towers in Hong Kong has revealed an astonishing ecosystem.
In his new guide, Echoing Above, Jacquet-Lagrèze paperwork the bushes, birds, and males who occupy town’s sky-high dimension. “Hong Kong’s distinctive density has made town develop vertically, and I’ve been impressed by the completely different facets that this density brings, from an architectural standpoint and in addition how it has formed the connection between males and nature on this metropolis,” he tells Colossal.
With the South China Sea wrapping three sides and an unlimited territory dedicated to public parks, the area has been largely proof against the horizontal sprawl that characterizes many city areas. As a substitute, locals have constructed up and up, their residences hovering excessive above the bottom.
As talked about in PetaPixel, Jacquet-Lagrèze usually scouts areas on walks round Hong Kong, the place he’s lived for practically a decade. Kowloon—as soon as house to the legendary walled enclave—is his favourite place to shoot as the colourful structure, laundry hanging from home windows, and indicators of damage bear traces of the individuals who have left their mark on town. He’s particularly drawn to employees who would possibly dangle off a facade or drill holes amid bamboo scaffolding, partially as a result of they require persistence and focus to identify.
Jacquet-Lagrèze’s images juxtapose balconies and window air-conditioning items with pure life, together with the opportunistic Chinese language Banyan that sprouts from many roofs. Birds usually eat its small figs and drop the seeds throughout town, permitting the hardy bushes to sprout amid even inhospitable concrete. “They will thrive and attain very massive sizes till it turns into harmful for the constructing and must be taken down,” he says, noting that it appears there’s all the time one being rooted out.
Regardless of its ubiquity, this cycle of progress and transplanting occurs up to now overhead that, from avenue view, it could actually simply go unnoticed. “I discover it lovely to see how the presence of bushes, males, and birds are taking turns above our heads, like an echo in a concrete canyon,” the photographer provides. His photos additionally seize the interaction of sunshine of shadow as whole sides of buildings are blanketed in darkness, reminding us of how little daylight reaches the bottom ground.
Echoing Above and different books can be found on Jacquet-Lagrèze’s website, and a few of this photograph collection will likely be on view this month at Blue Lotus Gallery in Hong Kong. Discover rather more on Instagram.
