This photographic series focuses on the industrial region of Charleroi in Belgium. Shaped by the steel industry, this territory is emblematic of the dream of modernity born in the 19th century. This dream developed at the expense of the urban fabric and slowly declined until the 1960s and 1970s, finally shattered by unemployment, poverty, climate change, and environmental destruction. Today, this image of chaos and dereliction of the old modern world is mitigated by the beginnings of urban renewal with a more human face. These photos bear witness to an era that left an indelible mark on the natural and human landscape.