Projects
/
Project

PARADISE LOST

Dates

2019 - 2020
Author

Melanie Hübner

In my eponymous work after the song of John Milton „Paradise Lost“, the human being as such is no longer visible. Only his traces remain. Human beings are not able to exercise control anymore, because they replace themselves with the technology they have created.

Not a single person will be depicted on the pictures. People build a tendency to not meet anymore, so the question left is: is it technology that is supposed to be the “one“ to “restore us and regain the bliss1 ful seat“ . With technology it is easier for us to make a living, it saves us time and ressources. It also distracts us from what is really important: connecting with people face to face. In these days there is a distance between individuals (as part of a collective) that I seeked to depict with the emptiness of spaces.

I captured all images with a Pentax6x7, an analog medium format camera. It was essential to me to use the available light sources to have the most neutral results. All pictures have a quote by John Miltons Paradise Lost.

© Melanie Hübner - Image from the PARADISE LOST photography project

i

Library Stuttgart -GERMANY _____ Which that thou mayst beleeve, and be confirmd Ere thou from hence depart, know I am sent To shew thee what shall come in future dayes To thee and to thy Ofspring; good with bad Expect to hear, supernal Grace contending With sinfulness of Men; thereby to learn True patience, and to temper joy with fear And pious sorrow, equally enur'd By moderation either state to beare, Prosperous or adverse: so shalt thou lead Safest thy life, and best prepar'd endure Thy mortal passage when it comes. Ascend This Hill [ 11 // 355-367 ]

© Melanie Hübner - Image from the PARADISE LOST photography project

i

Botanical Garden Berlin - GERMANY ____ Of Mans First Disobedience, and the Fruit Of that Forbidden Tree, whose mortal tast Brought Death into the World, and all our woe, With loss of Eden, till one greater Man Restore us, and regain the blissful Seat (1 // 1-7)

© Melanie Hübner - Image from the PARADISE LOST photography project

i

Institute of high frequency technology Aachen - GERMANY ____ And chiefly Thou O Spirit, that dost prefer Before all Temples th‘ upright heart and pure, Instruct me, for Thou know‘st; Thou from the first Wast present, and with mighty wings outspread Dove-like (1 // 17-22)

© Melanie Hübner - Image from the PARADISE LOST photography project

i

BMW Group factory Berlin - GERMANY ____ So saying, her rash hand in evil hour Forth reaching to the Fruit, she pluck‘d, she eat: Earth felt the wound, and Nature from her seat Sighing through all her Works gave signs of woe, That all was lost. (9 // 780-784)

© Melanie Hübner - Image from the PARADISE LOST photography project

i

Incinerator Rheinberg - GERMANY ____ the shatter‘d side Of thundring Ætna, whose combustible And fewel‘d entrals thence conceiving Fire, Sublim‘d with Mineral fury, aid the Winds, And leave a singed bottom all involv‘d With stench and smoak (1 // 232-237)

© Melanie Hübner - Image from the PARADISE LOST photography project

i

RS-Sexdolls Ilsenburg - GERMANY ____ The Rib he formd and fashond with his hands; Under his forming hands a Creature grew, Manlike, but different sex, so lovly faire, That what seemd fair in all the World, seemd now Mean, or in her summ‘d up, in her containd And in her looks, which from that time infus‘d Sweetness into my heart, unfelt before, And into all things from her Aire inspir‘d The spirit of love and amorous delight. (8 // 469-477)

© Melanie Hübner - Image from the PARADISE LOST photography project

i

Dairy Velten - GERMANY ____ what food Will he convey up thither to sustain Himself and his rash Armie, where thin Aire Above the Clouds will pine his entrails gross, And famish him of Breath, if not of Bread? (12 // 73-77)

© Melanie Hübner - Image from the PARADISE LOST photography project

i

Datacenter Berlin - GERMANY ____ The mind is its own place, and in it self Can make a Heav‘n of Hell, a Hell of Heav‘n. What matter where, if I be still the same, And what I should be, all but less then he Whom Thunder hath made greater? Here at least We shall be free; th‘ Almighty hath not built Here for his envy, will not drive us hence: Here we may reign secure (1 // 254-261)

© Melanie Hübner - Image from the PARADISE LOST photography project

i

Amazon Logistic hall Rheinberg - GERMANY ____ A various mould, and from the boyling cells By strange conveyance fill‘d each hollow nook, As in an Organ from one blast of wind To many a row of Pipes the sound-board breaths. Anon out of the earth a Fabrick huge Rose like an Exhalation, with the sound Of Dulcet Symphonies and voices sweet, Built like a Temple, where Pilasters round Were set, and Doric pillars overlaid With Golden Architrave; nor did there want Cornice or Freeze, with bossy Sculptures grav‘n, The Roof was fretted Gold. Not Babilon, Nor great Alcairo such magnificence Equal‘d in all thir glories, to inshrine Belus or Serapis thir Gods, or seat Thir Kings [ 1 // 706-721]

© Melanie Hübner - Image from the PARADISE LOST photography project

i

Amazon packing station Rheinberg - GERMANY ____ Strongly to suffer and support our pains, That we may so suffice his vengeful ire, Or do him mightier service as his thralls By right of Warr, what e‘re his business be Here in the heart of Hell to work in Fire, Or do his Errands in the gloomy Deep; What can it then avail though yet we feel Strength undiminisht, or eternal being To undergo eternal punishment? [ 1 // 147-721]

© Melanie Hübner - Image from the PARADISE LOST photography project

i

Federal press conference hall Berlin - GERMANY ____ As when the Sun new ris‘n Looks through the Horizontal misty Air Shorn of his Beams, or from behind the Moon In dim Eclips disastrous twilight sheds On half the Nations, and with fear of change Perplexes Monarchs [ 1 // 594-599]

© Melanie Hübner - Image from the PARADISE LOST photography project

i

Mitsubishi Electrics Düsseldorf - GERMANY ____ Then with uplifted hands, and eyes devout, Grateful to Heav‘n, over his head beholds A dewie Cloud, and in the Cloud a Bow Conspicuous with three listed colours gay, Betok‘ning peace from God, and Cov‘nant new. [ 11 // 865-869]

© Melanie Hübner - Image from the PARADISE LOST photography project

i

Drinking water reservoire Stuttgart - GERMANY ____ let ther be Firmament Amid the Waters, and let it divide The Waters from the Waters: and God made The Firmament, expanse of liquid, pure, Transparent, Elemental Air, diffus‘d In circuit to the uttermost convex Of this great Round: partition firm and sure, The Waters underneath from those above Dividing: for as Earth, so he the World Built on circumfluous Waters calme, in wide Crystallin Ocean, and the loud misrule Of Chaos farr remov‘d [ 7 // 261-672]

© Melanie Hübner - Image from the PARADISE LOST photography project

i

Invitro fertilisazion Berlin - GERMANY ____ Space may produce new Worlds; where of so rife There went a fame in Heav‘n that he ere long Intended to create, and therein plant A generation, whom his choice regard Should favour equal to the Sons of Heaven [ 1 // 650-654]

© Melanie Hübner - Image from the PARADISE LOST photography project

i

Nap Cap Munic airport - GERMANY ____ Though Heav‘n be shut, And Heav‘ns high Arbitrator sit secure In his own strength, this place may lye expos‘d The utmost border of his Kingdom, left To their defence who hold it (2 // 358-362)

© Melanie Hübner - Image from the PARADISE LOST photography project

i

Institut for genmanipulated plants - GERMANY ____ O flours, That never will in other Climate grow, My early visitation, and my last At Eev‘n, which I bred up with tender hand From the first op‘ning bud, and gave ye Names, Who now shall reare ye to the Sun, or ranke Your Tribes, and water from th‘ ambrosial Fount? (11 // 273-279)

© Melanie Hübner - Image from the PARADISE LOST photography project

i

Particle accelerator Darmstadt - GERMANY ____ Hell heard th‘ unsufferable noise, Hell saw Heav‘n ruining from Heav‘n and would have fled Affrighted; but strict Fate had cast too deep Her dark foundations, and too fast had bound. Nine dayes they fell; confounded Chaos roard, And felt tenfold confusion in thir fall Through his wilde Anarchie, so huge a rout Incumberd him with ruin: Hell at last Yawning receavd them whole, and on them clos‘d, [ 6 // 867-875]

© Melanie Hübner - Image from the PARADISE LOST photography project

i

Secret Door ____ Who seekes To lessen thee, against his purpose serves To manifest the more thy might: his evil Thou usest, and from thence creat‘st more good. Witness this new-made World, another Heav‘n From Heaven Gate not farr, (7 // 613 -618)