Abandoned and Reclaimed documents neglected public and private structures throughout New York City. It invites viewers to assess the current and future state of each space. Although crumbling infrastructure is presumed to be a problem of the global south, this project reveals that it is present in one of the richest country in the world: the United States. Although these environments are not considered to be picturable, the structures’ protrusion from their alien surroundings encourages the viewer to think critically as to how these spaces have reached such extremes. Throughout this project, I explore themes of time, space, access, disposability, capitalism, gentrification, and nature with color film. It features abandoned railroad stations in the Bronx, revealing the rugged individualism as a symptom of a car-centric society. The vibrant and crowded presupposition of New York City creates a juxtaposition with these dystopian, isolated, and empty spaces.

Although neglect and abandonment are typically associated with violence, drug use, and poverty, my project aims to look objectively past this stigma. With the ever-growing population, it's increasingly difficult to find available space. No matter how isolated these spaces seem, we must remember that they don't exist in a vacuum. Working-class people live around them, so it is critical for community members to be participants in the decision-making process. Invasive plant and animal species, as well as fences, are often recurrent figures in this body of work, as it is reclaimed by nature.

 Each location has endured the passage of time in different ways. Some of them stand protected and maintained, while others are gradually disintegrating. Abandonment is a marker of change, and in some cases, dying industries. With the rise of outsourced labor from the global south, they are reminders of the physical and environmental scars that follows them. They are an impression onto the landscape of the volatile nature of “the market” under neoliberalism.