Let us tell you about the unlikely encounter between three photographers, an Italian school supervisor, and very chatty men who kept quiet for too long…

The story takes place in a décor where æsthetics give way to contemplation.

To forget the past would be to deny the present and not to believe in one’s future.

Hasard de Cheratte droneMeta-morphosis

Citation (2015) by meta-morphosisMeta-morphosis

Teaser Meta Morphosis HDMeta-morphosis

Vue aérienne de Cheratte (2015) by meta-morphosisMeta-morphosis

GENESIS

On Friday 16 March, the sky was clear and the air was cool. Axel Ruhomaully and Franck Depaifve, two photographers who meet up every year to satisfy their shared passion for image, were on their way to Liège. They spotted the outline of an imposing fortress, straight out of another time. Enthused by the cinematic décor, they crossed the railway line and arrive at a long, deserted road above which rose a bridge where they could read:

HASARD CHERATTE

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Visit the old coalmine of Hasard de Cheratte with Street View!

Hasard - Cheratte (1994) by Gérard MichelMeta-morphosis

A heavy metallic door blocked the way to the ruins. After a bit of research, they found their first clues: the abandoned castle is the visible section of an old coal mine, closed in 1977 and destined to be destroyed soon.

Several months of work will be necessary to immortalise the place, the objects, and the typographic symbols, remnants of a glorious industrial past.

Machine à extraction de Cheratte (2015) by meta-morphosisMeta-morphosis

Détail des matières de Cheratte (2015) by meta-morphosisMeta-morphosis

Intérieur du charbonnage du Hasard de Cheratte (2015) by meta-morphosisMeta-morphosis

Intérieur du charbonnage du Hasard de Cheratte (2015) by meta-morphosisMeta-morphosis

Intérieur du charbonnage du Hasard de Cheratte (2015) by meta-morphosisMeta-morphosis

Intérieur du charbonnage du Hasard de Cheratte (2015) by meta-morphosisMeta-morphosis

Vue aérienne du charbonnage du Hasard de Cheratte (2015) by meta-morphosisMeta-morphosis

Intérieur du charbonnage du Hasard de Cheratte (2015) by meta-morphosisMeta-morphosis

L'ancien Charbonnage (2015) by Gérard MichelMeta-morphosis

Intérieur du charbonnage du Hasard de Cheratte (2015) by meta-morphosisMeta-morphosis

Intérieur du charbonnage du Hasard de Cheratte (2015) by meta-morphosisMeta-morphosis

Intérieur du charbonnage du Hasard de Cheratte (2015) by meta-morphosisMeta-morphosis

Intérieur du charbonnage du Hasard de Cheratte (2015) by meta-morphosisMeta-morphosis

Intérieur du charbonnage du Hasard de Cheratte (2015) by meta-morphosisMeta-morphosis

Cheratte Urban Sketching (2015) by Gérard MichelMeta-morphosis

Black Stones (2015) by Black StoneMeta-morphosis

Intérieur du charbonnage du Hasard de Cheratte (2015) by meta-morphosisMeta-morphosis

Intérieur du charbonnage du Hasard de Cheratte (2015) by meta-morphosisMeta-morphosis

crochet du charbonnage du Hasard de Cheratte (2015) by meta-morphosisMeta-morphosis

Intérieur du charbonnage du Hasard de Cheratte (2015) by meta-morphosisMeta-morphosis

Intérieur du charbonnage du Hasard de Cheratte (2015) by meta-morphosisMeta-morphosis

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Intérieur du charbonnage du Hasard de Cheratte (2015) by meta-morphosisMeta-morphosis

Intérieur du charbonnage du Hasard de Cheratte (2015) by meta-morphosisMeta-morphosis

Intérieur du charbonnage du Hasard de Cheratte (2015) by meta-morphosisMeta-morphosis

Intérieur du charbonnage du Hasard de Cheratte (2015) by meta-morphosisMeta-morphosis

Intérieur du charbonnage du Hasard de Cheratte (2015) by meta-morphosisMeta-morphosis

Machine d'extraction du charbonnage du Hasard de Cheratte (2015) by meta-morphosisMeta-morphosis

Intérieur du charbonnage du Hasard de Cheratte (2015) by meta-morphosisMeta-morphosis

Intérieur du charbonnage du Hasard de Cheratte (2015) by meta-morphosisMeta-morphosis

Hasard - Cheratte (1994) by Gérard MichelMeta-morphosis

vue aérienne du charbonnage du Hasard de Cheratte (2015) by meta-morphosisMeta-morphosis

Intérieur du charbonnage du Hasard de Cheratte (2015) by meta-morphosisMeta-morphosis

Lampisterie du charbonnage du Hasard de Cheratte (2015) by meta-morphosisMeta-morphosis

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Intérieur du charbonnage du Hasard de Cheratte (2015) by meta-morphosisMeta-morphosis

Intérieur du charbonnage du Hasard de Cheratte (2015) by meta-morphosisMeta-morphosis

Intérieur du charbonnage du Hasard de Cheratte (2015) by meta-morphosisMeta-morphosis

Douches du charbonnage du Hasard de Cheratte (2015) by meta-morphosisMeta-morphosis

Détail du système électrique du charbonnage du Hasard de Cheratte (2015) by meta-morphosisMeta-morphosis

Intérieur du charbonnage du Hasard de Cheratte (2015) by meta-morphosisMeta-morphosis

Détail du système électrique du charbonnage du Hasard de Cheratte (2015) by meta-morphosisMeta-morphosis

Credits: Story

Place/Objects: Axel Ruhomaully and Franck Depaifve
Calligraphy: Hassan Massoudy
Urban Sketching: Gérard Michel

With the support of Wallonie

Credits: All media
The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.

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