SERIES PUBLISHED IN THE LIFE FRAME COLLECTION

“We witness here an unexpected scene – wild animals out of the wild, grazing outside an industrial complex in South Africa. Without a human in sight, it brings to mind ideas of the pressure we put on the land with our relentless momentum of industrialization, and of the legacy we leave on the natural world we share with so much other life. These are themes Martina eloquently explores in her series statement, but the image stands up on its own – surprising, intriguing and oddly beautiful.”

– Life Framer

SERIES STATEMENT

This photographic exploration, titled 'Unglory'—a reference to a container brand—captures the essence of deconstruction and the catalyst for rebirth. It examines the remnants of both nature and industry, revealing the process of dismantling and rebuilding that reshapes our physical and ecological landscapes. The project highlights the absence of glory in the aftermath of our impact, where once-celebrated achievements have been reduced to forgotten, rusting artifacts. In this context, the wild animals inhabiting these industrial sites serve as powerful metaphors for the fragile and transitory relationship between humanity and the environment, urging us to question and reframe established narratives as nature reclaims what it can.

By documenting the unsettling presence of wild animals in an industrial complex in South Africa, we witness one of many striking examples where humanity’s relationship with the continent’s ancient nature has been transformed through industrialization.

The absence of human figures in these images, however, suggests a dystopian, mirrored scenario: one in which animals are not being observed by researchers as endangered species, as is the case today, but instead, they assert ownership over our industrial ruins. These creatures, surviving on the detritus of our societal failures, symbolize the depletion of the original and unique 'territorial glory.'

The landscape portrayed here exemplifies a process of détournement, revealing the contradictions of the capitalist model within the Cape Town Provinces. A sprawling industrial architecture contrasts with a wild, extravagant scene: containers, old pirate ships repurposed by nearby film studios, a bleached landscape, and zebras, elands, and springboks thriving in the remnants of our industrial past. This juxtaposition invites us to reflect on the tension between permanence and transience, between the destruction of natural and man-made structures and the simultaneous emergence of new, reformed realities.

↓ LIFE FRAME AWARDED photo

by judge and Tate Modern

Curator Emma Lewis