He found himself at the margins of society over a decade ago. When he's not with a group of friends in an abandoned gardening colony, he repeatedly seeks a way to stand on his own feet. He has a good heart and a proud look. He treats others the same way they treat him. Surrounded by abandoned animals, he searches for work and dreams of a better future, without expecting compassion. You'd guess him to be well over 50, with eyes that draw you in but that you can't hold for too long. He's tried enough. Occasionally, he meets a friend, and they share the weight of their burdens. I call him the man of many moods and several eye colors. What he truly desires is to live in peace, undisturbed. He dreams of a better future and doesn't seek pity. He'd never change his way of life—a lover of freedom and a critic of the system. I observed his story with absolute respect and humility.
I documented his life from 2014–2021, Prague, Czech Republic.
Homelessness represents a complex social issue and undoubtedly belongs to the phenomena of the 21st century. It cannot be overlooked; today's world is directly characterized by it. Furthermore, homelessness knows no boundaries of time and manifest in various ways throughout the entirety of human society's existence. Most people tend to view the homeless people as individuals fully responsible for their situation. However, in my opinion, this belief is distorted, as there are many reasons why a person may find themselves on the cold streets without a home.
People living on the margins of society may not necessarily be those who are homeless. Often, they have somewhere to lay their heads, they have some options, and they don't necessarily end up directly on the street.
For them, home can become a tent, a spot in an abandoned colony, an uninhabited house, or a basement... anything.
Marta Režová
She graduated in photography from the Institute of Creative Photography at Silesian University in Opava, Czech Republic. Her time is mostly devoted to people in general, mostly portraits, reportage and documentary work. She has been working in the advertising industry for a long time; her first commissions were from production companies, mainly shooting behind-the-scenes of TV commercials. Her documentary photography earned her an honorable mention at the Slovak Press Photo awards for her series – I, the hermit.
She enjoys working on projects that tackle contemporary social issues, focusing particularly on local problems that she believes require attention.
www.martarezova.com
@martarezova
