Within just half a century, the sun-drenched coastlines of Southern Europe have been transformed into a global tourist destination. The agglomeration of overdeveloped beach towns resulting from morethis unceasing mass…

Within just half a century, the sun-drenched coastlines of Southern Europe have been transformed into a global tourist destination. The agglomeration of overdeveloped beach towns resulting from morethis unceasing mass tourism no longer shows any discernible relationship with the surroundings, country, or history. Sander van Wettum’s ‘Hibernation’ is an exploration of the off-season state of these places, a journey through surreal architecture, spaces, and atmospheres, photographed at times when their intended functional context has dissolved and new realities appear. We are invited to envision our own narratives, while also seeing the detrimental consequences of mass tourism.