Garden of Delight (2016-2018)
“There is no boundary, believe me; there is no civilization on one side, no barbarians on the other. There's simply the forwardmost edge of the mutation advancing inside us.”
(from “The Barbarians”, Alessandro Baricco)
Succes story or megalomania? The rapid transformation of Dubai from a regional trade post in the sixties to the ultramodern metropolis of today, fascinates both supporters and critics. During his trips to the Gulf photographer Nick Hannes focused on the role of the entertainment industry in urban dynamics. ‘Garden of Delight’ showcases Dubai as the ultimate playground of globalization and capitalism, and raises questions about authenticity and sustainability.
Garden of Delight was awarded the Magnum Photography Award (2017), the Zeiss Photography Award (2018), Days Japan Special Jury Prize (2018), Nannen Preis (2018, shortlisted). The book and exhibition was launched in December 2018 in De Garage – Space for Contemporary Art in Mechelen, Belgium. Afterwards, the series was exhibited at Encontros da Imagem (Braga, PT, 2019), ImageSingulières (Sète, FR, 2019), Festival della Fotografia Etica (Lodi, IT, 2019), Lianzhou Foto Festival (China, 2019), Busan Photo Festival (Korea, 2020), Diaphane (Clermont-de-l’Oise, FR, 2021), Korean Cultural Center (Brussels, BE, 2021), FotoForum (Innsbruck, AT, 2021), Cortona on the Move (IT, 2023).
