"Grande Hotel" Photo

When I walked up to the photo entitled Grande Hotel in the Museum of Contemporary Photography on Thursday, my eyes widened and my jaw dropped a little. I was taken aback by the beauty of the architecture in what seemed to be a spacious, round hotel lobby with a grand circular staircase, gleaming from the wealth of sunlight flowing in from some sort of open-air ceiling from high above. The sunlight is what makes the photo so fascinating. I first recognized the tranquility and peacefulness from the light and the steps ascending towards it. It appeared very lively and welcoming as if many people would normally congregate there. After a moment though, a strong contrast sunk in. The bright shining light was so opposite to the dark unfinished concrete floor and walls that soon came into focus. There were scraps of trash on the floor and a cut out in the wall for an elevator that surely wasn’t operating. The place was abandoned and desolate.

Although it seems like there should be just a feeling of emptiness, there is a sacredness that makes this place much more striking and meaningful. The photo greatly symbolizes the potential and worth of Africa, though being such a distraught land. I felt the purpose and goal of what the architect of the hotel wanted to achieve, even though there were obviously no resources and ability to cultivate it into a functioning place of business. The photographer captured a kind of a metaphor for Africa itself, highlighting both personal and social emotions. There are many people who lack so many essentials, they cannot manage life enough to be prosperous. Yet, they have faith and willpower running though their veins. I can understand that there is a connection between the African people’s belief in a better future and the hotel staircase in the photo, which if climbed, would seem to rise you up from the darkness and into the light.