Gates of Kymlinge

Photo © Tiberio Fanti
Forewords

Before I begin writing this report, I have to apologize with readers or at least, as we in Italy use to say, to put the hands forward.

I'm used to spend most of my time working on assignments. This means having or providing me well known and tightly planned sequences of tasks for any kind of activity I wage. It's today's way of working. I can't help it. After several years spent acting accordingly you cannot behave differently anymore: you're not able. Even when you're doing something that doesn't mingle that much with your daily duties. That's why, when Ulf wrote me about his idea and plans for a new project of his, I suddenly felt comfortable and, upon receipt of his invitation to contribute to it, also very proud and soon engaged. The main goal was well outlined: getting some picture of Kymlinge ghost station.

Chance are that I had a technical meeting planned for the first week of October in Kista, some twenty kilometers north-west of Stockholm and not that far from Kymlinge. Given the amount of work burdening me lately, I was leaning not to attend but, once Ulf's invitation was made, I circled it on my agenda as one of those dates I couldn't absolutely miss. I gave a quick look at the map and soon I had myself committed to the job: reaching Kymlinge with a short walk and get back with a handful of images in my memory card.

I guess, now, some of you will be wondering why I opened this report in such an apologetic mood.

Well, notwithstanding my efforts, I was able to spend in the birches wood of Kymlinge the shortest quarter of hour ever, in the middle of a lunch break, in company of a colleague of mine and this happened in a moment of the day that doesn't really set my ideal – fetal, if I’m allowed to say - conditions for taking photographs. Flat sunlight, filtered by a curtain of mist some meters above our heads. No one walking around. Few traces of a past time intervention on the surrounding environment.

If I open my repository and look at the images I was able to take, I feel a feeble sense of disappointment. If I went back there three more time, I'm sure I couldn't be able to take the same pictures again. That's why, this evening, sitting in the warmth of my kitchen, at home in Saronno, I can't blame myself but look at them and try to describe my "trip" from the moment it started: few minutes after my waking up.

Summing up, the real "event" was making everything match with an unwritten plan I had relentlessly thought for all the twenty-four hours before: that is from the moment I put my feet on the aircraft staircase in Milan.

©Tiberio Fanti


Photo © Tiberio Fanti
Chronicle of an ordinary day
06:30 AM I've stood half an hour by the window, watching trembling red lights of cars and buses going by, downhill. Empty sidewalks in the street below. Distant far, the sun is rising up over the verdigris roofs of this part of the town.


I woke up early. At five-thirty I was rolling into my bed already. I couldn't sleep that much. I'm worried for my schedule: it's tight and I'm falling apart.


Photo © Tiberio Fanti

06:32.AM Soon after dinner, we walked down to the harbor. I talked relentlessly to my colleague about my new assignment and how I still haven't figured out how to carry it on. He could not understand but he nodded at my words for convenience. I was pleased as well and went on with my monologue.

On our way back to the hotel, we crossed a sculpture with a host of words, carefully engraved into the stone. It must have been something related to the past history of this part of the world. I put my hands down on its surface to feel the artwork of an ancient craftsman. I didn't want to boil it down to a quick look and touch: I gave a look at my watch and told my pal to rush away.

There will be time to get back there and stay some more.

I picked out the word "road". Can't say why. Sounded good to me. It's time to get dressed and take my breakfast before leaving.


Photo © Tiberio Fanti

08:50 AM
I'm standing right in front of my first destination, today. The second is there, behind this tower, half a mile away from these windows. In a few minutes I will be speaking in public to people coming from this part of the world. The glass covered building looks like falling over me. I'm holding my breath.

10:45 AM A short break, just the time for a coffee. I hesitate for a couple of minutes more at the window, trying to understand if it's going to rain. No one is stopping me now. I'll be there soon after the last presentation. I just said to my pal: "no questions, everything's right, ok?"


Photo © Tiberio Fanti

12:25 PM
Here I am.Beholding the concrete structures around me, I look for a sign. Over my head, every so often, blue underground trains come out howling of a black mouth.


Photo © Tiberio Fanti
12:16 PM I get close to a huge reinforced concrete gate taking somewhere I can't even imagine.


Photo © Tiberio Fanti

12:17 PM I get closer and closer till I find a plate with signs of a living past, ready to get back to life. My walk companion reminds me that it's time to go. I can't argue: he's right.


Photo © Tiberio Fanti

12:50 PM
The pillars of the railway are still over our heads, but we're back in the present time and to our duties. We have just two minutes to find our seats into a crowded meeting room. I'm distracted, still thinking to what I have certainly missed out there in the woods.

Photo © Tiberio Fanti

9:50 PM I'm sitting on a bridge, somewhere. I've been able to get lost in this town. I'm confused; I've been roaming alone till I got here, on a ghost bridge, thinking to other ghosts...I feel the need to start over and look for another assignment, now.
©Tiberio Fanti


Tiberio Fanti
Born: May 12 1967, Frosinone (80km SE of Rome)
Grown up in: Tivoli and Rome
Lives in: Saronno (30km NW of Milan)
Latest exhibition: never had one
Coming, planned exhibition: one before Y2067 for sure
Inspiration photographers: Weston, Steichen, Bourke-White, Blossfeldt.
Inspiration (other): poetry, friendship & loneliness, regrets, love, "la buona cucina" and my footprints left behind.
Film, digital or both: Digital born, wishing a film future for my son.
Quote: "Non exiguum temporis habemus, sed multum perdidimus" (Lucio Anneo Seneca)

Comments

Rhonda Boocock said…
An amazing journey!!!
br said…
great honest, real text...and wonderful fotos. !
Mikael said…
Maybe the road pic is for your journey an journey that continues for the rest of your life, to explore and to give us more fine reading and photos cos its very good to see and feel your words and pics
Anonymous said…
your photos are very beautiful!