French digital artist Fabien Barrau uses his own drone photography to make photo montages of how ruined architecture might appear after a climate change apocalypse.
Fabien Barrau, a French digital artist, employs the use of drone photography to create striking visualizations of cities in a post-climate apocalypse scenario. His series, titled “News From the Future,” portrays famous architectural landmarks like the Colosseum in Rome, Paris, New York City’s Empire State Building, and London, submerged under water or buried beneath desert sands.
Barrau’s objective is to explore the potential consequences of desertification, rising sea levels, and the transformation of regions into tropical landscapes. By blending drone photography with stock images, he envisions how future generations, living hundreds of years from now in a climate-ravaged world, would navigate and explore the ruins of major cities. He draws a parallel between their experiences and the awe felt by 19th-century archaeologists when they unearthed the buried Roman city of Pompeii, preserved under layers of volcanic ash from a catastrophic eruption in 79 AD.
Inspired by post-apocalyptic fiction, Barrau’s cinematic photomontages pay homage to works that have captivated audiences over the years. Notably, his depiction of whales swimming above the Arc de Triomphe in Paris is a tribute to the French artist Roland Cat, who envisioned sea creatures occupying submerged cities in the 1970s and 80s.
“News From the Future” deliberately evokes the imagery and atmosphere of iconic films such as “Planet of the Apes” (1968), “Mad Max” (1979), “Akira” (1988), and National Geographic’s 2008 documentary “Aftermath: Population Zero.”
Beyond their visual impact, Barrau’s dramatic images serve as a call to action. He aims to raise awareness about climate change and inspire individuals to take daily actions within their means and capabilities. Barrau believes that his images, akin to a time-traveling explorer’s photographs from a changed world, can have a profound impact, particularly on younger audiences, helping them comprehend the potential consequences of inaction.
Barrau is not alone in his creative efforts to address the perils of climate change. Artists like Lucy McRae from Los Angeles have designed wearable survival suits set in post-apocalyptic landscapes, while design studio Superflux has employed renderings to imagine Singapore’s future in the year 2219.
Fabien Barrau’s series serves as a powerful reminder of the urgent need for action in the face of climate change. Through his thought-provoking imagery, he encourages viewers to reflect on the current state of our environment and consider the role they can play in shaping a sustainable future.
[Note: The article is based on the provided information and does not contain external sources or additional research.]
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