When it comes to art, it’s safe to say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. While some artists choose to share traditional images of nature’s splendor or attractive models, some want to reveal the darker side of the world to their audiences. Take this artist, for instance; he found a way to let the world in on what a disaster looks like AFTER the news cameras leave.

German photographer Jonathan Danko Kielkowski specializes in documenting crumbling and decaying structures. In his many photo series, he has featured everything from full-scale demolitions to various examples of urban blight at its worst, but it’s his images of the doomed Costa Concordia cruise ship that have grabbed worldwide attention.

If the name “Costa Concordia” doesn’t ring a bell, let’s take a quick trip back to January 12, 2012, when news broke of a luxury cruise ship located just outside of the Italian port of Civitavecchia was in the process of sinking. Reports were circulating that the cruise liner’s captain had deviated from the embarkation plan and had ended up hitting a cluster of rock formations.

Considered to be one of the largest and most luxurious touring vessels to coast the seas at the time, the Costa Concordia boasted ballrooms, theaters, and even a casino. At the time of the disaster, 4,200 crew members and passengers were on board, and by the time the morning of January 13^th came, the ship was on its side and 32 people were dead.

To add to the tragic circumstances, it was discovered that the ship’s captain, Francesco Schettino, had not only made a dangerous call when pulling out of port, he had also abandoned his post, vacating in a life boat while the rest of the passengers and crew were left helpless.

The Costa Concordia, 4 years later

Believe it or not, the ship was left where it had sunk, on its side, for another year and a half, until experts were finally able to move it to its original position again.

It took them several years to complete the scrapping process, but before too much was gone forever, Kielkowski knew that he had to get a look inside the decaying vessel for himself. So, in late 2016, the dedicated – and potentially crazy! – photographer swam 200 meters to the ship and illegally boarded.

Once inside, Kielkowski was faced with the crumbling beauty of the opulent cruise ship. He made his way through the once bustling casino and bar…

…and even down the hallways, where the abandoned belonging of thousands of passengers and crew members were left strewn everywhere.

Upon his safe return to shore, Kielkowski took the shots and published a book about his experience, called Concordia. To see even more photos of Kielkowski’s brave journey aboard the ill-fated Costa Concordia, check out his website here.

Pretty eerie stuff, right?! We’d love to hear your thoughts on this story! Are you a fan of cruise ships? Had you ever been a passenger on the Costa Concordia? Have you ever snagged any special shots of an abandoned structure that you’d like to share?