BETWEEN NOWHERE & NEVER
By Reginald Van de Velde
Original story by Ana Belén on 30 March 2016, for STITCH.
“My photos depict a parallel world, a world that’s hidden within our world. Most of the time we’re not aware of their existence, yet these abandoned places are embedded into our everyday lives. And it’s this everyday life –with all its chaos and worries– that I want to run away from. Escapism is at the basis of my explorations, and it’s the solitude I want to capture and share through my photographs.”
Reginald Van de Velde, aka Suspiciousminds, is the scouter of the unknown and the unseen. This Belgian photographer explores abandoned places around the world, no matter how difficult is to reach them, to make the most amazing frames of it. “The result of an intangible desire to explore what mankind has left behind”, hospitals, monasteries, prisons, stations, impressive structures, that are now part of the past, become glorious monuments in his shots. And we had the chance to speak with him about his astonishing work with them.
Why do you use the name SUSPICIOUSMINDS?
This goes back to the nineties when I registered my domain name. Back then my website featured graphic design work of me and a good friend. I was searching for a name that was original, in combination with the word minds. From the longlist of all possibilities it was eventually the Elvis song that did the trick.
Years later, when I made the website 100% photography based, the name suspiciousminds still fitted perfectly. When we’re exploring abandoned buildings and derelict places, outsiders see us as intruders and suspicious characters.
Why do you photograph these places? Something about time or humanity? What do you want to tell the people with the impressive images of these abandoned spaces?
The town where I grew up had lots of abandonments: castles, villas, some factories… From a very young age my friends and I would venture into those forbidden structures and make them ours, turning them into our playgrounds. I reflect those juvenile times a lot. We were without a care in the world, already exploring …. Read the full story here.
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