Urban Transition
Urban Transition | Place des Prêcheurs, Aix-en-Provence | 2022 | 50 x 62,5 cm | 80 x 100 cm
With the constant development of urban areas, the function of their buildings continually changes. A school becomes an office block and, years later, an apartment complex. A factory is transformed into a concert space and then a department store. When these existing buildings are given a new purpose, more often than not, their appearance changes too: dated facades are modernised, chipped exteriors are given a fresh lick of paint, old-fashioned features on walls are replaced. But no matter how beautifully these transitions are executed time and time again, they can never entirely hide the layered history of a building and its roles: it remains perceptible and tangible forever.
For his ongoing project ‘Urban Transition’, which he started at the beginning of 2021, Dutch photographer Maarten Vromans (1975) captures this stratification that has been occurring on urban buildings over the years. Vromans frequently works in Dutch cities such as Rotterdam, Amsterdam and Delft. And from time to time, he also takes photographs in other European cities. 'Urban Transition' is a sequel to his photo series 'Urban Erosion' (2014 - 2020).
In 2021, the Berlin based publisher The Velvet Cell included the ‘Urban Transition’ series in a Chronicles Set, a collection of five small projects by five different artists.
Urban Transition | Van Leeuwenhoekpark, Delft | 2022 | 50 x 62,5 cm | 80 x 100 cm
Urban Transition | Poptapark, Delft | 2022 | 50 x 62,5 cm | 80 x 100 cm
Urban Transition | Heuvelweg, Leidschendam | 2021 | 50 x 62,5 cm | 80 x 100 cm
Urban Transition | Anthony Fokkerweg, Delft | 2021 | 50 x 62,5 cm | 80 x 100 cm
Urban Transition | Abtswoudseweg, Delft | 2021 | 50 x 62,5 cm | 80 x 100 cm
Urban Transition | Rotterdamseweg, Delft | 2021 | 50 x 62,5 cm | 80 x 100 cm
Urban Transition | Landbergstraat, Delft | 2021 | 50 x 62,5 cm | 80 x 100 cm