Untitled 1980

Curator: What a stark, mesmerizing photograph. I’m immediately struck by the sense of desolation, but there's a strange beauty here too. Editor: I agree, a sense of quietude certainly permeates the work. This gelatin-silver print is simply titled "Untitled" and was created by Ursula Schulz-Dornburg in 1980. It certainly showcases Schulz-Dornburg's long-standing interest in peripheral landscapes and liminal zones. Curator: Yes, her focus on peripheries makes this resonate deeply with broader narratives of displacement and environmental exploitation. The flooded landscape becomes a stage for the unseen, reflecting themes of marginalization and vulnerability. Editor: Exactly. The almost submerged structures speak of human impact on nature. I see in them remnants of a past livelihood, abandoned and slowly reclaimed by the water. They carry the symbolic weight of impermanence. Curator: And there's also the absence of people that is quite telling. Whose land is this? What forced them away? Thinking of landscapes beyond pretty postcards necessitates facing some grim realities concerning forced migration, economic restructuring, and the relentless reshaping of our environment. Editor: Perhaps those answers rest in what appears to be a monochromatic interpretation, drawing all attention to structural objects that rest or decay within this waterscape. But despite any sense of finality suggested in that assessment, the structures could equally reflect cycles of transformation and survival – resilience in the face of environmental adversity, withstanding all tests, only to reflect upon a horizon that offers yet more challenges ahead. Curator: A duality of destruction and perseverance—that’s beautifully said. This piece doesn’t simply present a scene. It poses vital questions. It compels us to examine the human cost of "progress," and to reckon with our role in shaping, and often devastating, the world around us. Editor: I appreciate the photograph’s haunting quality, revealing layers of forgotten history etched into this bleak tableau. Curator: Indeed, there's something profoundly important about documenting these overlooked spaces and provoking uncomfortable dialogues through images that are far removed from the picturesque.