This story was shot in Beirut from the overlap of two seemingly disconnected but equally pervasive visual experiences.

The first is the persistent imagery of Hezbollah or Amal's Martyrs present in many streets of Lebanon, is an aesthetic experience codified by specific canons: the subject is central, emphasised by the blurred and burnt out background that singles out the departed in its heroic status.

The second comes from my fascination with photographing cars and the impact of the power of car culture of Beirut, which has shaped and continues to shape its development as well as its cultural obsessions, The strenuous and continuous character of the car presence in the city stretches their use and lifespan to their limits, and the long gap in import caused by the Civil War means that serious 'veterans' can be seen in the streets.

Patched up, sacrificed beyond resistance, inhabited then abandoned, the wrecks of cars in Beirut are the MARTYRS I've tried to conceive and picture here.