This edition is a charity edition for Nino

The picture was taken on the roof of an abandoned palace in Georgia, right on the Black Sea coast.

Nino works as a tourism agent in Tskaltubo/Georgia.  
I met her first in 2018 and she helped me a lot to feel comfortable in this foreign country. Without her, I would never have been able to start my project.

She has also become a very good friend since then.

Now she and her husband are about to lose their flat if she can't raise $500 by 09.11.22. Which is almost three times her salary. They already have $1500 and for $2000 they can buy the flat-.

I can't raise that amount myself, but I really want to help her. Because life is very hard there anyway.

That's why I created this edition. Because if I can't do it alone, the community can.  


Black Sea Dreams (charity edition)

Andy Schwetz 

TRIPPY KEK

No Man's Land is an ongoing photographic observation of the B-sides of the world we live in. The unvarnished, bleak, and sometimes absurd corners that are generally labeled as eyesores by the public.

Yet, these seemingly soulless places tell us much about ourselves and, above all, raise questions. Many cannot be answered, even by this project. But perhaps it can create an awareness and an insight for the viewer. Because in our time of fake narratives and doubts about what is true, these works offer a counterpoint. Unvarnished and direct.

No Man´s Land #6 - Mold Art

No Man´s Land #5 - Rusty Snake

One of 365 rooms in the abandoned Castello di Sammezzano. 365 rooms, one for every day. And no two are the same. But no one has lived in any of these rooms for over 11,000 days. 

The Castello di Sammezzano, a magnificent oriental-style castle, is located in Tuscany, Italy. It was built in the 17th century, with most of its now familiar shape created in the 19th century through the extensive renovations and extensions of Ferdinando Panciatichi Ximenes d'Aragona, an Italian nobleman and architect. The castle is known for its impressive, colorful interiors, which are characterized by oriental and Moorish influences.

The Castello di Sammezzano has been empty since the 1990s. Although it is privately owned, it is gradually falling into disrepair as it has not been maintained for decades. Numerous attempts to restore the castle or put it to a new use have so far failed, meaning that it is now known as an abandoned ruin.

Crystal

I had imagined for years how I would like to photograph this castle. At dawn, with fog and a mystical atmosphere.

When the time finally came, the weather was not at all to my liking. 
But when I flew the drone over the castle and saw the reflection of the sky, I came up with the idea of a composition with the castle floating on the clouds. 
In retrospect, I'm glad I did, because I was able to capture it in a unique way.

Info:
McDermott's Castle is located on a small island in Lough Key in County Roscommon, Ireland. The history of this castle goes way back to the Middle Ages, when it served as the seat of the McDermott clan. However, the current building was built in the 19th century in the neo-Gothic style and reflects the romantic ideas of the time.

The castle was abandoned towards the end of the 19th century and has been largely uninhabited ever since. Due to its age and lack of maintenance, it is in a dilapidated state, which gives it a special, enchanted atmosphere. Despite its dilapidated state, the castle continues to attract visitors who are drawn to its picturesque location and mystical aura.

Castle in the Sky

This is my last Mint before the historic merge of Ethereum and the end of POW. 

I felt this image visualizes the end appropriately.

If the edition sells out before the merge, a free mint open edition will be unlocked which will be my first mint on POS and will be active for 24h after the merge.

PROOF OF WORK

CONTAMINATED Vol.2 is the 2nd part of the OG Collection CONTAMINATED which was minted on OpenSea in August 2021 and has sold 39 works to date and generated a volume of 10.9 ETH. 

https://opensea.io/collection/contaminated

The project was created over 7 years and 4 visits to the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone.  
It is one of the most comprehensive photographic projects about the zone and aims to show all facets of this unique place.

Deserted Idyll I

The staircase in the Manicomio of Genoa is a prime example of what I began to think about the former Italian asylums during the project. beautiful and intimidating at the same time.

silent screams (MANICOMIO bidders edition)

I dedicate these edition series to the community and my passion. 

NFT has changed my life in so many positive ways.
I have been able to do so much good. Give something back to the people who have always supported me. Donate money to Ukraine and Afghanistan. And much more.
But I also rediscovered faith in myself and my work. 
Without the community, this would never have been possible. All the artists who built me up and supported me in the dark phases. 
All the collectors believed in me, even though my work is in a niche.
All the others through whom I was able to learn so much about Web3.

Thank you all from the bottom of my heart. 
This edition is for all of you.

But this edition is also meant to usher in a new era in my career. And I want to meet as many people as possible on this journey and become a part of it.

That's why I'm doin a raffle for 5 pre-sale spots for each edition to all collectors, for my upcoming collection as well as a price advantage of 0.15 instead of 0.2 ETH

For me, exploring decay also means accepting transience. Death, as sad as it often makes us, is part of our world. In the end, we will all have to bow to our fate. So why not embrace death and show him that we do not fear him and his presence. 

together on the other side

WE LOVE DECAY - The Editions

"You won't meet me at the bakery or in one of those dirty burger joints where you go to eat. Yet I make money on every damn penny you spend when you're in town...in my town"

the city is mine

An Amercian Mind Journey is an AI-created homage to the road movies of the 50s and 60s, to great photographers like Joel Meyerowitz or Stephen Shore, to the rockabilly subculture, to Route 66 and Las Vegas. But also the journey of thoughts of a german photographer who lives out his photographic fantasies about his own "amercian dream" here

At First Sight

an american mind journey

Amidst the trials and the strife,  
A couple seeks a better life,  
Through storms and struggles, they press on,  
Holding tight to hope and staying strong.

They dream of brighter, better days,  
When worries and cares will fade away,  
And love and laughter fill their hearts,  
As they make a brand new start.

With hands clasped tight, they journey on,  
Through valleys dark and shadows long,  
But with each step, they find their way,  
Towards the dawn of a brand new day.

For in their love, they find the strength,  
To weather any storm at any length,  
And with each trial, they grow more sure,  
That their love will forever endure.

So let them seek their better days,  
With hope and faith in every way,  
For through the struggles, they will find,  
The love that lasts, forever entwined.

FOR BETTER DAYS

This edition is a charity project whose proceeds are used to purchase and transport essential items for the people of Ukraine. 

The Pripayt sign is one of the most symbolic places in Ukraine. It stands symbolically for a catastrophe. But also for a unique place that will perhaps no longer exist in this form in the future. Because again, this place is facing a catastrophe.

I have a very deep connection to this place. Not only because I could always enjoy the peace there. Not only because I love to explore the past. But mainly because my interest in the Chernobyl exclusion zone has tied me very closely to Ukraine and its wonderful people. 

Today I don't know if I will ever see this place again. Whether I will ever see the friends I made there again. Because where I once found peace and tranquillity, there are now tanks and soldiers. And my peaceful and friendly buddy is fighting them with Molotov cocktails. For his freedom, for the freedom of Ukraine and for our freedom.

I want to support these brave people. I owe them that.

SLAVA UKRAINI

1970 - FOREVER

Andy Schwetz Editions

This is the Morgue in a former children's sanatorium in Germany. 

This picture was a really difficult one for me, as someone who lost her daughter early.  
But as a photographer I am an observer, an artist, a documenter and also the uncomfortable sides of our world need a mouthpiece. 

At the same time, Morgues also have a certain aesthetic when you focus on the visual. So clean, so accurate and minimalist.

White Death

The former Casino in Constanta, Romania, is a striking Art Nouveau building located on the city's waterfront. It was built in 1909 by the architect Petre Antonescu and served as a glamorous entertainment venue for the city's elite during the early 20th century.

The Casino's design is characterized by its ornate façade, featuring intricate carvings, columns, and balconies, and its grand interior, which included a ballroom, a theater, and a variety of gaming rooms. Its prime location on the Black Sea coast made it a popular destination for tourists and gamblers alike. 



Unfortunately, the Casino fell into disrepair over the years, and by the late 20th century, it had become a dilapidated shell of its former self. Despite efforts to restore the building, it remains closed to this day, and its future is uncertain.

Despite its current state, the former Casino in Constanta remains a beloved landmark in the city and a testament to the grandeur of Romania's past. Its striking architecture and rich history continue to captivate visitors and locals alike, and it serves as a reminder of the city's glamorous past.

Dusty Splendour

I LOVE DECAY - 1/1 by Andy Schwetz

An old railroad bridge that crosses the largest river in Italy.

What fascinates me about these structures is the symmetry and the length. And although they are 90 percent steel, nature finds a home in the remaining 10 percent. A fascinating sight

RUST ALLEY

An expressive series of photographs dedicated to nature and its reconquest over man-made structures.

artistic photographs of forgotten places that come back to life. Bewildering motifs with a romantic melancholy and the impressive power of Mother Nature.

It shows us who really has the say on this earth. How small and unimportant we really are when nature wants it.
This series shows paradoxically at the same time a look into the past and a look into the future.

The Valley of the Mills in Sorrento is a really special place.

Since the 16, century these mills were in operation and were already shut down at the beginning of the 20th century. What remains are the old structures that became a spectacle of nature.

In 2019, this building was tried to renovate to make it more presentable. The greenery was removed and new walls were built. What remained was an unsightly concrete block that destroyed this beautiful scenery forever.

VALLONE DEI MULINI

Gardens of Time

44 years have now passed since Franco Basaglia's 1978 law came into force. The Italian psychiatrist not only ensured that mentally ill people regained their rights, but also revolutionized treatment in institutions.

Today, we have good mental health care in most of the Western world. The deficits are still in the social treatment of people who suffer from mental illnesses or disorders. 

While there is some basic acceptance for socially prevalent disorders such as depression, people with somewhat more complex disorders such as borderline, schizophrenia, and other personality disorders are still heavily stigmatized and marginalized. 

Only when we include these people in our midst of society, then we have really created a basis that helps these people in the long term.

Legge 180

 A photographic journey through the dark history of the forgotten asylums of Italy.

This collection is more than a photographic view of the past. It is a reminder of the forgotten souls of yesteryear and a wake-up call to our society to create more awareness for mental health and to continue to work on destigmatizing mentally ill people.
10% of the proceeds will be donated to a non-profit organization for traumatized people.

It was not only the patients who had to go through traumatic experiences. The staff also suffered under the circumstances:

The experience of Teresa Medeghini, a nurse who worked from 1955 to 1960 in the then neuropsychiatric hospital of Varese:


"Those admitted were treated with insulin. We started with a low dose and had to give them a lot of insulin until they went into a coma: The first coma lasted 5 minutes, the second one the next day lasted 10 minutes, and then the maximum tolerable time that state. Then they were made to wake up with the intravenous dextrose : this was the task of the Poverelle nurses, of which my sister Carla was one.

If they did not wake up even with the first 50 ml of dextrose , they added more amounts . Sometimes, however, they simply did not wake up from the coma, so the patients were beaten. I remember, for example, a girl whom we beat in two: she had an unrecognizable face, when her relatives visited her, they did not show her to them "

long shadows

MANICOMIO V2

I took this picture 2019 in an old sanatorium in Georgia, where members of the communist party of the USSR once spent their holidays.

These relics still radiate the utopian ideas of the Soviet idea. Oversized pomp and splendour, but reserved only for the privileged party members, while the poor people were further deluded about equality and the national economy.

Nevertheless, one cannot deny the architectural beauty of these places. It is the only thing that will remain, while the utopian ideas broke down into their pieces.

  

Esherized

Postcards from the Dust is an ongoing 1/1 collection of my photographs from more than ten years of exploring abandoned and hidden places from around the world that very few people have ever set foot in.
This collection is intended not only to show the beauty of decay but also to preserve forever the memories of these places, even if they no longer exist.

It was on a country road in the outback of Italy

I spied from a distance an inconspicuous ruin of an old farm. It didn't look promising at first, but I'm always curious and had to stop to take a look.

It seemed that it would come true and there would be no interesting motives. Curiosity nevertheless drove me to the second floor and then my breath caught.

A room completely decorated with hand-painted paintings in the style of the famous paintings of Michelangelo.

Through years of decay had formed an interesting patina and color variety.

Even today, although I have often looked at my photograph, I always discover small details that fascinate me.

In a few years, this hidden masterpiece will be gone forever. Only this photo will remind.

crumbling heritage

Postcards from the dust - by Andy Schwetz

Night has long fallen on the ghost town of Pripyat. In the distance you can hear the wild dogs barking and from the nearby bank of the river of the same name you can hear the croaking of frogs. I am standing in front of the former excursion restaurant "Cafe Pripyat" with its beautiful stained glass windows and detailed Sovjet mural. Back then you got the best ice cream in town here.

During my exposure I realize that I am standing completely alone in a city which was inhabited by almost 50,000 people until April 25, 1986. I am not afraid, I enjoy with humility. For despite all the terrible events that have happened here, it is now an oasis for nature. Impressive how quickly it recovers when we leave it alone.

I realize how much I like being here and how much peace I find here. The exclusion zone is like my second home and I hope to come back soon.



S.T.A.L.K.E.R.

For years I tried to get into this huge abandoned palace in Poland. The castle was built in the 16th century and was until 1945 in possession of a noble family that was expelled due to the 2nd World War. Since then, the castle is largely dilapidated.

I can hardly put into words how impressive it is to breathe in this unfiltered history. Nothing is embellished or prepared for tourists. These are insights that only a few people get. 



out of the dark

Foundation

Kiev, 2021 

You can't outshine reality with colours and lights, it will only gloss it over a bit.

Blinded By The Light

Homosexuality is as old as humanity. It knows no ethnicity, no gender, no religion.  
Love is not what you believe but what you feel.  
And even if many religions in our age still ignore this topic or even see it as a disease, I am sure that homosexual love exists there too, even if only behind closed doors.  
Maybe we already had a gay pope ? Who had to meet secretly at night with a cardinal just so they could enjoy their love together in secret for a few hours before slipping back into their pious roles.

I like the idea and that is why this work came into being. 

Perhaps this provocative work about twisted history is not so twisted after all. 
Who knows. But what I do know is:

Everybody should love whoever they want. And I'm sure God sees it the same way.

Higher Love

Curated  1/1s

Eternal green

Tocco Vecchio is located on a tufa ridge with steep walls that extends in a north-south direction and rises towards the south. Despite numerous alterations and even though the built-up area has been reduced by a series of landslides, the village retains much of its medieval urban structure. 
Due to a series of landslides in the 1950s and then the earthquake of 1962, the village was evacuated and has been abandoned since then.

In the photo you can see the main street Via Carlo di Tocco that runs once the length through the village. There were many stores, such as a bakery, a butcher's store and a cafe.  
Even today, the balconies of the houses where once hung laundry and the residents talked loudly, tower above the street. Despite all the destruction and decay, you can still feel the past here

Eternal Green

Ghosts of Italy

Babyboom

The Stalkers Kindergarten

CONTAMINATED VOL. 2- The Chernobyl Exclusion Zone

"We all want to fly high, but only very few are prepared to land hard "



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