Terrain Vague #2 by Christian Vium

Christian Vium's HHS! entry "explores the fringes of Nouakchott, the windblown capital of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, where [Vium is] currently conducting long-term research on climate change, water scarcity, human adaptation and vulnerability." While his stated purpose is clearly documentary, the photographs remind me a bit of the surreal work by former documentary photographer Roger Ballen. Discarded bits of scattered trash become stage props — a fire burning low and skeletons of ships at sea. Unlike Ballen's work, human presence is marked only by their absence and what they've left behind:

In effect, the objects seemingly scattered in the open space are the traces of nomad encampments, the former residents now most likely inhabitants of the vast slum areas closer to the city, where an estimated 65 percent of the city's population lives. The particular beige light is a result of the constantly blowing winds, which hurls sand particles into the air, blurring the boundary between heaven and earth.

Vium is a photographer and anthropologist currently employed as a Ph.D. Fellow at the Institute of Anthropology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark. See more of his photography on his website.