Moments before the flood

The last time I was utterly overwhelmed by a photo exhibition was when I visited Stephan Vanfleteren's Portrait in Gent. It happened again last night when I visited Carl De Keyzer's new photo project Moments before the flood in Oostende. The first thing that is special is the location. The Slipway at the Oosteroever is a protected monument. There could not be a better place to house an exhibition that represents the threat we are facing when the sea level does rise. The photographs are striking. Some of them really hit you in the face. Some are show beauty, some show decay. All of them are extremely high quality reflections of the shores of Europe. I am impressed and would recommend the project to anyone who appreciates great photography.
David Van Reybrouck wrote this introduction:


It seems to be an accepted fact that the sea level will rise dramatically before the end of the century as a result of climate change, partly through the fault of us humans. Moments before the Flood (working title) is a visual, photographic investigation into how Europe is coping with a difficult-to-gauge threat. The coasts of Europe are the areas in which the repercussions of this threat will be felt.

For four years Carl De Keyzer has spend four months every year travelling the coasts of Europe. The type of photography he had in mind focuses on empty landscapes, desolate beaches, deserted hotels, wintry piers, bleak harbour cranes, disconsolate cliffs and dramatic cloud formations.

The images he made within the framework of this project are massive, both in terms of size and resolution. 65 million pixels, an unheard of degree of detail, facilitated by the latest technology that for the first time makes it possible for a photo to be sharper than a painting. In reality this makes it possible to view photos at different levels and from different distances.

Until 26.08.2012
Easter Bank, Ostend

www.momentsbeforetheflood.com

Opening hours:
Tuesday - Sunday 10 am - 6 pm, closed on Monday

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