From March 01, 2026 to March 31, 2026
This series explores environments shaped by human ambition, where structures operate
at a scale that exceeds individual presence.
Whether meticulously maintained, fully operational, or marked by abandonment, these spaces persist. I do
not seek to document decay, but rather to observe how these architectural forms continue to impose their
systemic logic, even when human activity has withdrawn.
In these images, human presence recedes in favor of massive, organized structures.
Within this apparent coherence, a subtle form of decoherence emerges — a misalignment between monumental scale and lived experience, between operational systems and the tangible reality of the body. I
approach these environments from a distance, observing how structure prevails over function. The act of
photographing becomes a way of remaining within this tension — of confronting what both attracts and
unsettles me. What remains is not decay as an end, but inertia —
a quiet persistence of civilization beyond its visible utility.
Curator: Sandrine Hermand-Grisel
A graduate of the École des Beaux-Arts, Damien Aubin develops a photographic language
at the intersection of architectural study and sociological reflection. His process is rooted
in rigorous technical standards, primarily utilizing the 4x5 large format camera
and medium format digital systems.
This choice of equipment dictates a specific relationship with time—a deliberate slowness that allows him
to deconstruct the complexity of the structures he observes. By using a large format camera, he doesn’t
merely capture an image; he constructs a perspective where geometric
precision dialogues with the silence of space. His work questions the individual’s place.
within monumental systems, seeking in every frame the fragile balance between built ambition
and the inertia of the urban landscape...
