Max de Esteban

born in 1959
lives in Barcelona, Spain
www.maxphotos.es

Le véritable vertige, c’est l’absence de la folie. (2008)

Vertige: Le veritable vertige, c’est l’absence de la folie.

The events after September 11 could turn out to be the final scenes of the fall of Western political and moral values. The collapse of such principles has legitimized the arguments of the enemies of liberty.
The powers of economic globalization and the two great monotheist religions have taken the ideological leadership of such vacuum. Through the undeterred expansion of radical Islamism and the increasing political influence of the conservative Christian churches, these institutions have declared war to secular governments, laws and societies.
It is in this context that Doubt and the philosopher Cioran are becoming very relevant today. Cioran was a profound thinker on civilization and barbarism, and the bitterness of his arguments arises from his conviction that it is the latter that finally prevails. The civilized is insecure and skeptic, contradictions being both his greatness and weakness. The barbarian is, in contrast, the slave of a belief that he lives with integral and exclusive passion, and is driven by global ambitions.
This project is in essence vindication of Doubt as a crucial ethical value. Unsurprisingly deprecated today, it is the prime source of tolerance, progress, creativity and civilization. Doubt is arguably the origin of rebellion against darkness.
Vertige is comprised of twelve photos, each one representing a concept. Each image explores attitudes people take when confronted by doubt and challenges the audience to identify themselves in those characters.