All images by Aristotle Roufanis. Used with permission.
Many of the city-centric photography projects we’ve seen of late focus on the frenetic energy that breathes life into the world’s biggest cities. This vitality is everywhere – from the streets, to the busy people, to the culture, and the architecture. Aristotle Roufanis, meanwhile, wanted to show us a rather despondent face of the urban jungle in his series, Alone Together.
In this ongoing project, the Greek-born, London-based visual artist thought of taking a deeper look at the loneliness of cities around the world during the blue hour. He photographed some of the world’s biggest and most popular cities in such a way that only the tiny lights from apartment windows are visible. With this minimalist approach, the cities have retained anonymity in some of the photographs. Countless people call the vast urban sprawls their home, but Aristotle observed that they hardly connect with each other.
“The bigger the city, the lonelier we feel,” he adds. This becomes more compelling with the fact that Aristotle himself left his hometown of Athens, Greece for the bustling urban center of London. “Although we sometimes feel alone, there’s a person who feels the same somewhere close by, possibly next door,” he also shares in a video feature.
“In a big city, we are very efficient in covering all our consumerist needs, but we forget our need for companionship. It is important for people to understand that although lonely, they are not alone. Individuality does not equal to alienation,” Aristotle says of the motivations behind the project.
Apart from his insightful perspective into social alienation, Aristotle’s fascination and inclination for architecture also shows in this body of work. A civil engineering graduate, he finds himself drawn to the many contrasts and stories that can be “read” from an urban landscape.
Through super high-resolution photography and meticulous digital editing, Aristotle has also been able to exhibit Alone Together in great detail. His critically-acclaimed work was exhibited in the UK for the first time at the recently concluded London Art Fair, following presentations in Mexico and Miami Beach.
Do check out Aristotle Roufanis’ website and Behance portfolio, and follow him on Instagram and Facebook to stay updated with his projects.