Chernobyl by Christoph Bolten
April 2006 marked the twentieth anniversary of the most devastating nuclear civil catastrophe ever. The radioactivity that was freed in the explosion of the nuclear factory in Chernobyl (ex USSR) contaminated the whole region, its inhabitants, it's soil, water and air.

Christophe Boltens says "When I first set foot into the Zone of Chernobyl I was immediately surprised by the peacefulness of this landscape, aided by the fact that everything was covered in snow. Abandoned villages, towns, industrial complexes just felt very serene and only my knowledge of what happened in the past instilled a slight feeling of horror into the scene. Monuments of human achievement: art, technology, architecture, medicine all falling to pieces. Nature is taking over again and entropy is advancing. In the back of your mind is always the omnipresent yet undetectable force called radiation. The whole scene overwhelms you with so many different feelings ? some negative, some positive."

Talking about his working process "I was born in a very small village in northern Germany, which might be the reason for my strong connection to nature and landscapes. One theme that always reoccurs in my work is the paths of nature and human civilisation crossing. Once I’ve taken up work on a new project my approach to photography is a very simple one. I’m walking or driving around and go: Uh, that looks interesting. Then I sit down and spend some time just looking, trying to figure out what I like about the scene. After that I take a picture."