Johannes Elebaut - Reno Riviera - Self-published 2024

Reno Riviera is the title of the publication that follows the expo "The Biggest Little city in the world" last fall at Donck. Gallery in Brussels, Sept 2023.

In this publication we see downtown Reno as a second-rate Vegas: a constructed delusion with its paint flaking off, a capitalistic theme park well past its heyday. We see a place that feels less like a real city and more like a film set – one occasionally traversed by errant extras. Not coincidentally, the first image in the series is titled Truman show, referring to the film in which main protagonist Truman Burbank is the unwitting star of a reality-television soap opera, surrounded by sets and actors.

The photos are carefully framed, respecting classic aesthetic proportions. Lines and planes form compositions that, from a distance, have an almost graphical quality. The harsh sunlight casts strongly delineated shadows. By making everything sharp and in focus, I leave the viewer free to explore the image for themselves. This infinite depth of field further enhances the impression that we are looking at a set decorated with props from recent history. But although the photos may appear staged or even Photoshopped, they are only showing downtown Reno as it is.