Christophe Delory

UNTITLED

During my Fellowship at the Hanse-Wissenschaftskolleg, from October 2018 until October 2019, I have been working on the Valentin bunker situated on the banks of the river Weser at Rekum in the suburb of Bremen in Germany.
The purpose of this project is to discover people living or working near a historical tragedy and to fight against forgetfulness and ignorance. In the Rekum area, 1,300 people died, 4000 people are missing building a submarine shipyard that was never used.
I will produce an exhibition and a catalogue that will present this trace of the Second World war.
Inspired by the exhibition Perscut-Perscuteur at the French Shoah Memorial in 2018, my work will not give any judgement, it hopes to fight against ignorance.
I have divided this photographic project into four chapters:

• „Historical remains“ It is architectural photography. The photo I submitted is one of them.
• „Spectral remains“ It is abstract photography portrait close-up views of the walls as witnesses of the forced laborers.
• „How to live with 500 000m3 of concrete“ Portraits and video interviews of the neighbours and people who work in Denkort.
• „Ignorances“ I wished to work on the idea of the supposed ignorance of the leisure makers and on our ignorance about their choice of destination. It is portrait of people on the beach, front of the Bunker.
  After many hours in and around the bunker, I arrived front to this wall. It remind me a trip in Jerusalem front of the wailing Wall. I decided to meditate and naturally I put my hand on the wall. I still feel the touch in my palm today.