All photographs in “Human Territoriality” show sites of past borders. Across the globe and crisscross through the history of spatialized politics, this series strings together photographs of former demarcation lines. In some cases the borders in question have shifted just a few hundred meters due to global warming or the alteration of landscapes, in others, entire empires on both sides of the border have since ceased to exist. Both the photographs and the texts in “Human Territoriality” help visualize and understand the ever-changing cartographical puzzle.

Borders are a means of separation. They create a barrier between two sides, a clear demarcation of here and there. Although built for eternity, there is no border in history that has not disappeared. There is a certain irony in the discrepancy between knowing that one’s border will eventually change or even completely vanish and the large amount of pride and protectionism some individuals or entire nations demonstrate on their behalf.