the unbearable lightness of being

Is loneliness a higher state of mind? Do we all stand alone, despite the illusions of proximity and love? What would a stranger think if he spied us from a distant corner? We have the questions, but Riego van Wersch seems to have the answers as well. Riego is a 37 years old photographer that lives and works in Paris. His photos have a touch of calm sadness, as if something was about to happen and at he same time they stand still. Accidental encounters, small details that hide a story behind them, streets full of individuals that carry their personal drama, the power of space and architecture and their impact on human psychology, they all form part of Riego van Wersch’s unique universe.

Some photos of you remind me of the melancholy found in the paintings of Edward Hopper. Is loneliness a higher state of consciousness?

For me, solitude is the only unconscious state of the human being and of our “living” companions. Non-solitude is a desired state of consciousness, which is unreal. We are born, live and die alone. We just believe we’re accompanied. Melancholy is a big part of the artist’s happiness…


His interview with Yatzer is cool read. Here it is.