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Description
ZONA by Carl de KeyserThe prison camps of Siberia still have customers, in fact over a million of them. Sent there for minor offensives such as stealing cabbages or even a hamster from a Moscow pet shop, the prisoners and their prisons are captured here by Carl de Keyser in brilliant colour, as if seen through some disturbing hallucinatory dream. It's official. The gulags of Siberia are no more. Solzhenitsin's nightmare of the absurd does not exist. The prisons are still
The prison camps of Siberia still have customers, in fact over a million of them. Sent there for minor offensives such as stealing cabbages or even a hamster from a Moscow pet shop, the prisoners and their prisons are captured here by Carl de Keyser in brilliant colour, as if seen through some disturbing hallucinatory dream.
It's official. The gulags of Siberia are no more. Solzhenitsin's nightmare of the absurd does not exist. The prisons are still there, of course, with plenty of customers, probably more than a million, such as the 15-year-old boy serving three and a half years for stealing two hamsters from a Moscow pet shop, or the mother of four who stole 12 cabbages - what can have possessed her? - and was rewarded with four years in Siberia.
So the inhuman lunacy still exists, but it is now officially apolitical. In reality it is an economic social endeavour. It does not pay to be a poor thief in Russia, since you will not have the resources to avoid the interminable train ride to the East when you are caught. Carl De Keyzer took that journey to photograph the prisons today. With two army colonels as his shadows, one to the left and one to the right, he photographed what he was allowed to see, and no more. But he has revealed a kind of winter wonderland, a Disneyland where all normal credibility is suspended - look, for example, at the tattoos in the photographs. "Where do they come from?" he asked. The answer came: "What tattoos? There are no tattoos. They are illegal." So they don't exist. Your eyes deceive you.
It has been said that the collective memory is black and white. In Zona, De Keyzer has elaborated on the brocaded fantasy of the Siberian prisons by using brilliant colour, as if from a hallucinatory dream. Look at the faces, and then the eyes, of the prisoners. There is a Zen despair there, as if they were wearing lederhosen in a remarkable holiday camp. They tell a disturbing story.
'Magnum photographer Carl de Keyzer captures the wintry landscape, harsh realities and surreal elements of prison life'. Guardian Review
Awards:
So the inhuman lunacy still exists, but it is now officially apolitical. In reality it is an economic social endeavour. It does not pay to be a poor thief in Russia, since you will not have the resources to avoid the interminable train ride to the East when you are caught. Carl De Keyzer took that journey to photograph the prisons today. With two army colonels as his shadows, one to the left and one to the right, he photographed what he was allowed to see, and no more. But he has revealed a kind of winter wonderland, a Disneyland where all normal credibility is suspended - look, for example, at the tattoos in the photographs. "Where do they come from?" he asked. The answer came: "What tattoos? There are no tattoos. They are illegal." So they don't exist. Your eyes deceive you.
It has been said that the collective memory is black and white. In Zona, De Keyzer has elaborated on the brocaded fantasy of the Siberian prisons by using brilliant colour, as if from a hallucinatory dream. Look at the faces, and then the eyes, of the prisoners. There is a Zen despair there, as if they were wearing lederhosen in a remarkable holiday camp. They tell a disturbing story.
'Magnum photographer Carl de Keyzer captures the wintry landscape, harsh realities and surreal elements of prison life'. Guardian Review
Awards:
Photo District News Annual 2003
Kraszna Krausz Award, Best Books category 2003
Carl de Keyzer was born in Belgium in 1958, and began his career as a freelance photographer in 1982 while supporting himself as a lecturer at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of Belgium (1982-89). At the same time his interest in the work of other photographers led him to co-found and co-direct the XYZ-Photography Gallery. A Magnum nominee in 1990, he became a full member in 1994.
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4.8 ★★★★★
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★★★★★ 5
Very nice at a nice price.
Color: White, Size: 35 Inch, Style: 2 Pack, Color: White, Size: 35 Inch, Style: 2 Pack
Very easy to mount on the wall. Very sturdy with about 10-12 lbs on each shelf. Only took about 15 minutes to hang each one.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 13, 2026
★★★★★ 5
Cat playground
Color: Black, Size: 35 Inch, Style: 3 Pack, Color: Black, Size: 35 Inch, Style: 3 Pack
Easy to install. Sturdy enough for 2 large rambunctious kitties to play on and look very nice. I was working on a vertical play space for the cats and since these come in many sizes it worked great. I did add grip tape to some.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 30, 2026
★★★★★ 3
Not the best quality
Color: Rustic Brown, Size: 35 Inch, Style: 2 Pack, Color: Rustic Brown, Size: 35 Inch, Style: 2 Pack
The shelving unit was not as I had expected. It arrived damaged. The damage is on the under side though. They are hollow and not hardwood as I had expected. Save your money if you want something of good quality. These are like 3 pieces of pressed wood glued together. They are space saving and look great in my space. The mounting hardware it comes with was plenty enough to hang these but make sure you hang them in the studs if at all possible. Assembly was simple. It does come with a micro level. Which a kid or pet could accidentally swallow. It’s like pill capsule sized so just be careful when opening the package.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 26, 2026
★★★★★ 5
Love these and will be getting more. Very pretty.
Color: Oak, Size: 39.4"L x 8"D, Set of 2, Color: Oak, Size: 39.4"L x 8"D, Set of 2
Very nice shelves they look great up and were easy to install. Same color shown in picture. They seem very sturdy on the wall and I love the look of them. They are light weight and a good size just a little plunder 40 inches. Good quality for the price. I'll be buying again.
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Reviewed in the United States on March 25, 2026
★★★★★ 5
PERFECT!
Color: Walnut, Size: 23.6"L x 8"D, Set of 2, Color: Walnut, Size: 23.6"L x 8"D, Set of 2
Just as good as expected! Great quality, no issues. Easy to construct and look amazing!
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Reviewed in the United States on May 15, 2026