Once upon a time by Hendrik J. Hunter

Once Upon a Time is a portrait of the post-industrial heart of Western Europe, which was published in my first photobook with the same title (Lecturis, 2023). It shows what the impact can be on an area if large industrial companies close and the local economy has to reinvent itself. The project started in 2015 in my hometown of Maastricht, and my journey of discovery has taken me through the raw post-industrial landscape of Germany, Belgium and The Netherlands. Together, the photographs tell a story about people trying to make the best of their lives in a region with an uneasy cinematic beauty.