A Guide for Sleepwalkers

Arne Van Lierde

Along the Flemish highways, a fragmented landscape unfolds: houses, shops, and industry embedded in a seemingly endless sequence. This photo series observes the phenomenon of ribbon development as an everyday yet peculiar presence in the landscape.
The result is an image of Flanders that is at once familiar and disorienting — a zone where city and countryside merge without a clear boundary. Through quiet, precise images, the viewer is invited to look anew at what usually goes unnoticed.
The title refers to Renaat Braem, who described Flanders as a land of sleepwalkers, moving through a fragmented and cluttered landscape. This series does not pass judgment but offers an open gaze on that reality — an invitation to pause and reflect on what surrounds us daily.