Sofiane Boualia

Why is it important for you to photograph this piece of ground?

This photo is called “Desert” it’s from my serie Hors Saison a project on my hometown, a small city in the middle of France called Clamecy. This shot was taken on my childhood playground, it’s the old parking of the public pool. I was living in the kind of residential neighborhood where every kids hang together, we used to spend a lot of time over there, biking, skating, dreaming, climbing trees to watch girls by the pool.

I’ve once broke the arm of a friend, I guess we were trying to create a new game it was terrible. It’s just a parking lot, but there were a real energy a true meeting place, it was perfect to work on our creativity. I’ve shot this piece of ground because first of all as a 8 years old kid that dick shape was funny, and today it symbolises a form of nostalgia, the rift got bigger there’s no kids playing there anymore. It represents the desertification of my hometown.

Sofiane Boualia – French Photographer