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Urbanistan – The story of a quiet loudness

As soon as you hear the word Urbanistan your imagination is whisked off into the traffic mayhem of Calcutta, the tawdriness of the neon sex nightlife in Bangkok, the unbelievable structuralised yet frenzied Tokyo, the suffocating and dusty streets of the (hardly) living body of the decaying Cairo, the roundabout of the hedonistic and aggressive Rio, the unstoppable narcissistic Manhattan, the global supermarket of turbo consumerism. However, Matjaž Krivic’s photography project Urbanistan is a miraculous anti-thesis to all this. It is a story from the other side – a story of the quiet loudness on the margins of total existential, religious, economic and geopolitical chaos. A story that speaks of the indestructible spirit and the eternal search of inspiration that enables survival. It is a story of individuals and social groups who, putting aside the racket and general urban angst, keep searching for the core of existence in a different space and a different time. It is a story of survival through play, prayer, tradition, travels and especially, a special light, that the author sees and records so well.

Urbanistan is a space that allows you to take a breather from the city. Any city.

(~Boštjan Videmšek)

Lalibela, Ethiopia: Two young worshippers are reading the Old Testament during the old Christian (orthodox) celebration of Timkat. © Matjaz Krivic

Hatgal, Mongolia: Soviet truck broke down. It seemed it would never start again. However, all it took was a few strikes of a hammer and a bit of water from the experienced driver. © Matjaz Krivic

Uraman Takht, Iran: Pilgrims in the Kurdish part of Iran celebrate the pre-Islamic religious holiday of Aroosi Pir Shahriar. The men are playing the Daf drums while the dervishes are reaching a trance like state through their dance. © Matjaz Krivic

Hampi, India: During the traditional religious festival countless pilgrims sleep in the Virupaksha Temple. © Matjaz Krivic

Thula, Yemen: Young boys playing volleyball in the quiet streets of the historic town. © Matjaz Krivic

Varanasi, India: Young Brahmans, members of the highest Indian caste, on the shores of the sacred river of Ganges at sunrise massaging each other. Later on they will ritually bathe and clean themselves. © Matjaz Krivic

Jaipur, India: Pupils during a mathematics lesson in primary school, where the classrooms are always open. © Matjaz Krivic

Djenné, Mali: Thursday is the town’s ‘trade day’. Market is full of people. © Matjaz Krivic

Lhasa, Tibet: Monks worshipping the deities during the July full moon in the monastery pray night and day with no pauses. © Matjaz Krivic

Spiti, India: Humble, dedicated Tibetan monks in the Ki monastery during the visit of his holiness Dalai Lama, their spiritual and political leader. © Matjaz Krivic

Darchen, Tibet: Tibetan children whose parents went on a pilgrimage around holy Mount Kailash in Western Tibet. © Matjaz Krivic

Sana’a, Yemen: The hairdresser and barber shop in the old part of one of the most spectacular towns in the world. © Matjaz Krivic

Bamako, Mali: Landfill in the capital, which is located in the near proximity of the river Niger, the only true water source, and only a stone’s throw away from the most prestigious hotel in town. © Matjaz Krivic

Bani, Burkina Faso: The famous mosque in the small town in Northern Burkina Faso, known for its large gold deposits. © Matjaz Krivic

Djenné, Mali: A worshipper during prayers in the largest mud mosque in the world. © Matjaz Krivic

Pushkar, India: Following a ritual bath the satisfied pilgrims dry their freshly washed saris on the ghats of the sacred lake. © Matjaz Krivic

Varanasi, India: A gym in which the local boys train and form their bodies for Kushti, a traditional Indian wrestling discipline. © Matjaz Krivic

Djenné, Mali: A girl arriving at the famous Thursday market. © Matjaz Krivic

Kashgar, China: Following successful sales at the cattle market the happy men are resting on their lorry. © Matjaz Krivic

Varanasi, India: The boy is contently watching his herd of water buffalos that are resting on the ghats of the sacred river of Ganges. © Matjaz Krivic

Varanasi, India: A worshipper during his everyday cleansing ritual in the sacred river of Ganges. © Matjaz Krivic

Amritsar, India: A pilgrim during his ritual washing in lake Sarovar, in the centre of which stands the famous Sikh temple Hari Mandir, The golden temple. © Matjaz Krivic

Varanasi, India: Following the completed religious rituals two Sadhus are peacefully sleeping on the shore of the river Ganges in Shiva’s sacred town. © Matjaz Krivic

Varanasi, India: The dog feels safe and content on top of a pile of warm rubbish alongside the river Ganges. © Matjaz Krivic

Shugruf, Yemen: The morning mist rises mystically from the valley towards the small town in the Haraz mountains. © Matjaz Krivic

Djenné, Mali: A cold morning in front of the famous mud mosque where the children are warming up around the pile of burning rubbish. © Matjaz Krivic

Shugruf, Yemen: In the early morning father and son are standing on the platform of their palace, looking at their small town awakening. © Matjaz Krivic

Dipayal Silgadhi, Nepal: Gold panning in the rivers in south-western Nepal provides survival to thousands. © Matjaz Krivic

St. Louis, Senegal: Fishermen bring tons of fresh fish to the markets every morning. A lot of them are processed in the vicinity of the markets. © Matjaz Krivic

Nouakchott, Mauritania: A large warehouse of spare parts, a kind of an engine burial yard, where the employees need merely minutes to find anything your heart desires. © Matjaz Krivic

Bodh Gaya, India: Beggars hurry to listen to the teaching of his holiness the Dalai Lama, where they will receive some food and money. © Matjaz Krivic

Lhasa, Tibet: A girl in front of the famous Jokhang temple is carefully filling the candles with yak oil, for they should never die out. © Matjaz Krivic

Ulan Bator, Mongolia: The trotter is getting ready for the horse race, one of the three disciplines on the traditional Mongolian festival of Nadam. © Matjaz Krivic

Fes, Morocco: Moroccan leather was famous around the world already in the middle ages. The way they work in the tanneries in the old part of the city has not changed over the centuries © Matjaz Krivic

Bam, Iran: The woman mourns on the grave of her family that died in the cataclysmic 2003 earthquake. The earthquake flattened most of the town, including the legendary citadel. © Matjaz Krivic

Howraman Takht, Iran: Pilgrims in the Kurdish part of Iran celebrate the pre-Islamic religious holiday of Aroosi Pir Shahriar. The men are playing the Daf drums while the dervishes are reaching a trance like state through their dance. © Matjaz Krivic

Varanasi, India: The local barber is ready for his work very early, for the ghats alongside the river of Ganges are full of worshippers and pilgrims. © Matjaz Krivic

Esfahan, Iran: In the hot July afternoon the children refresh themselves in the lake on Imam’s square. © Matjaz Krivic

Lhasa, Tibet: Tibetan children are playing on a military airplane, a symbol of occupation that the Chinese authorities erected on the square opposite the Potala palace, a symbol of Tibetan Buddhism. © Matjaz Krivic

Kathmandu, Nepal: A peaceful night view of Patan and the mighty Himalaya in the background. The town of Patan and the Durbar square are under Unesco protection. © Matjaz Krivic

Varanasi, India: A view of the holy river of Ganges as seen from an abandoned palace in Varanasi. © Matjaz Krivic

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Jaipur, India:. The woman is cleaning the stairway of the observation tower of the large sundial at the Jantar Mantar observatory. © Matjaz Krivic

Thula, Yemen: At sunset the shepherds lead their sheep and goats home. © Matjaz Krivic

Shibam, Yemen: The boy that has leaned his rifle against the wall is praying in an old abandoned mosque in the desert, near the historical town in the Hadhramaut valley. © Matjaz Krivic

Varanasi, India: The man alongside the holy Ganges is getting ready for the funeral of his relative, who will be cremated on the most sacred Hindu place. © Matjaz Krivic