Boulevard de L’Europe from the series Form and Control

Boulevard de L’Europe was recorded in December 2015 in Calais, on the French end of the Eurotunnel. It is the first part of the Form and Control series, which focuses on the culture of late capitalism and the dominance of architectural forms representing the contemporary society driven by progress and economic profits. The tunnel connecting France and England, which is still an intra-European border, is owned by a private company. In recent years this area has witnessed the tragedy of refugees trying to illegally enter the UK, which forced the authorities to introduce tighter security measures. Looking calmly through his camera lens, Goldbach meticulously inspects fences with barbed wire and CCTV cameras. During postproduction the artist “erased” all traces of human presence. As a result, we see an artificial space showing a different face of a seemingly liberal and free Europe.