Exploration is the act of searching for the purpose of discovery of information or resources. Exploration occurs in all non-sessile animal species, including humans. In human history, its most dramatic rise was during the Age of Discovery when European explorers sailed and charted much of the rest of the world for a variety of reasons. Since then, major explorations after the Age of Discovery have occurred for reasons mostly aimed at information discovery.
In scientific research, exploration is one of three purposes of empirical research (the other two being description and explanation). The term is commonly used metaphorically. For example, an individual may speak of exploring the Internet, sexuality, etc.
Urban Exploration
Urban exploration (often shortened as urbex, UE, bexing, urbexing and sometimes known as ‘roof-and-tunnel hacking’) is the exploration of man-made structures, usually abandoned ruins or not usually seen components of the man-made environment. Photography and historical interest/documentation are heavily featured in the hobby and, although it may sometimes involve trespassing onto private property, this is not always the case.[1] Informally named “urbexing,” the popular activity is engaged with by people of all ages, even the elderly. Urbex (or urban exploration may also be referred to as draining (an alternate form of urbexing where drains are explored), urban spelunking, urban rock climbing, urban caving, roof topping or building hacking.
Abandonments
Ventures into abandoned structures are perhaps the most common example of urban exploration. At times, sites are entered first by locals and may suffer from large amounts of graffiti and other acts of vandalism. Although targets of exploration vary from one country to another, high-profile abandonments include amusement parks, grain elevators, factories, power plants, missile silos, fallout shelters, hospitals, asylums, schools, poor houses, and sanatoriums.
In Japan, abandoned infrastructure is known as haikyo (廃虚?) (literally “ruins”), but the term is synonymous with the practice of urban exploration.[3] Haikyo are particularly common in Japan because of its rapid industrialization (e.g., Hashima Island), damage during World War II, the 1980s real estate bubble, and the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.
Many explorers find decay of uninhabited space to be profoundly beautiful, and some are also proficient freelance photographers who document what they see, as is the case with those who document some of the infrastructure of the former USSR.[5]
Abandoned sites are also popular among historians, preservationists, architects, archaeologists, industrial archaeologists, and ghost hunters.
Active Buildings
Another aspect of urban exploration is the practice of exploring active or in use buildings which includes gaining access to secured or “member-only” areas, mechanical rooms, roofs, elevator rooms, abandoned floors and other normally unseen parts of working buildings. The term “infiltration” is often associated with the exploration of active structures. People entering restricted areas may be committing trespass and civil prosecution may result.
Catacombs
Catacombs such as those found in Paris,[6] Rome, Odessa, and Naples have been investigated by urban explorers. The Mines of Paris, comprising much of the underground tunnels that are not open to public tourism like the catacombs, have been considered the “Holy Grail” by some due to their extensive nature and history. Explorers of these are known as cataphiles.
Photographic Documentation
Many urban explorers adhere to the philosophy of cave explorers and outdoors hikers: “Take nothing but pictures. Leave nothing but footprints.”[12] Some are photographers who specialize in documenting urban ruins and scenes of industrial decay. Professional photographers working in this field include Julia Solis and Andrew L. Moore. Other well-known photographers, such as Jan Saudek, use the interiors of abandoned buildings as backdrops for their figurative and portrait works.
Moscow-based Kirill Oreshkin has earned the nickname “Russian Spiderman” after publishing pictures of himself in the midst of dangerous stunts on some of Russia’s tallest buildings. Oreshkin started scaling buildings as a hobby in 2008 and videos of his ascents have also been posted on YouTube.