What do you see when you look at a crumbling building, one that’s been abandoned and overtaken by nature? For many, it’s just decay; a sign of something forgotten, a space long left behind. However, for photographer Mark Favero, these forgotten places are filled with beauty, emotion, and stories that resonate with the human experience. His book, Feel – Northern State Hospital, invites us to reconsider what it means to decay, to be forgotten, and ultimately, to be seen.
Favero’s book is more than a collection of haunting photographs. It’s a visual story about mental health, resilience, and the beauty of nature’s reclamation. With each image, he challenges us to find meaning in places we might otherwise overlook. Through this blog, we’ll explore the hidden narratives behind Feel–Northern State Hospital and what makes Favero’s approach to photography so profoundly moving.
In the quiet corners of Northern State Hospital, Favero’s lens captures fragments of a forgotten world. Each photograph offers a glimpse into the lives that once inhabited these spaces. Rusted beds, cracked walls, and peeling paint; aren’t just remnants of a decaying structure; they’re visual stories of confinement, vulnerability, and neglect. The hospital, once a place of isolation for society’s outcasts, now serves as a silent reminder of the empathy that was often missing from the treatment of mental illness.
Favero’s work challenges viewers to consider: How much of this neglect still echoes today? His images reveal that, while society has come a long way in understanding mental health, there is still much to be done. By capturing these hidden spaces, Favero brings the forgotten back into focus, reminding us of the humanity that often slips through the cracks of history.
One of the most striking themes in Feel–Northern State Hospital is nature’s reclamation of these abandoned spaces. The vines that crawl through broken windows and the moss-covered floors transform the hospital into a landscape of unexpected beauty. Nature’s slow, steady takeover of this forgotten space serves as a metaphor for resilience, growth, and the possibility of renewal; even in places that seem beyond hope.
This natural reclamation also mirrors the stories of those who lived within these walls, showing that while human compassion may have faltered, nature continues, indifferent to human judgments or stigmas. Favero’s images convey that even in decay, there is life, and even in isolation, there is beauty.
Through Feel–Northern State Hospital, Favero extends a gentle invitation to viewers: Look closer, and see beyond the surface. His photography asks us to not only witness decay but to feel the stories within it. Each image is a call to empathy, urging us to break down our own walls of misunderstanding and stigma surrounding mental health.
Moreover, Favero’s work reminds us that these are not just ruins; they are reflections of our collective emotional landscape. His approach invites viewers to feel deeply, to look inward, and to bring compassion to places and people society has left behind.
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