Capturing rural gentrification

This essay explores the notion of perceived rural gentrification through a photographic lens. In 2018, regional authorities on the Swedish island of Gotland identified gentrification as a growing concern for its most remote areas. This photographic essay investigates the power of images in conveying landscape transformation and examines the role of rephotography in research. Drawing from a private photo collection, I revisited and reshot eighty photographs, of which eight are featured in this essay. Rather than forming ideas about the aesthetics of a gentrified countryside, I conclude that rephotography helps to raise questions about the future of rural landscapes.