What Would Cities Look Like If Humans Disappeared

The streets are looking empty and a bit eerie these days due to the global pandemic and the recommended self-isolation most of us are dealing with in hopes of protecting ourselves and everyone from the virus. It can be a bit unnerving to see cities once bursting with life and people appear completely empty and kind of abandoned now, as everyone is staying at home most of the time unless they need to go get groceries or get medical help. This reminded us of a photo exhibition by Chris Morin-Eitner that happened a couple of years ago.

Chris Morin-Eitner is s French artist, he’s passionate about photography and sometimes produces short films. He also has a degree in architecture. When he was travelling through Cambodia he was very much impressed and inspired by Angkor Wat. Angkor used to be the capital of the Khmer Empire and when you see those buildings you can’t help but think about the fact that they were probably even more impressive back then than they are now. Yet the fall of Angkor happened at some point in the 15th century and slowly nature took over.

This made Chris think about what other modern cities would look like if humanity disappeared. If all of us just sort of stopped and ceased to exist, what would our cities look like in a couple of years or decades? To explore this idea Chris Morin-Eitner took photos of popular tourist destinations and then used digital retouching to edit the pictures into what you’re seeing here. He played with colors, shadow, added wild animals and overgrown plants and foliage to achieve this post-apocalyptic effect. But this isn’t wasn’t made with a pessimistic agenda, no, Chris was just trying to show that nature is a powerful thing and it would probably bounce back and take over if we just stayed out of the way.

1.The Eiffel Tower looking a bit worth for wear but at the same time, a layer of greenery even adds to the charm.

2.A proud lion sitting atop L’Arc de Triomphe, that is what true victory looks like for the king of the jungle.

3.How long do you think it would take for the wild animals to return to the cities and claim them as their own once again?

4.Fludded streets, buildings overgrown with trees and all sorts of stuff. Nature’s version of unkempt looks better than humanity’s carelessness and dirtiness.