Set in early 1990s England, this captivating historical record features striking photographs by renowned German photographer Peter Bialobrzeski. The work captures the essence of the era, showcasing the social and cultural landscape through a unique visual lens. Bialobrzeski's artistry offers a profound insight into the life and environment of the time, making it a significant contribution to both photography and historical documentation.
In seiner neuen fotografischen Studie kehrt Peter Bialobrzeski nach Asien zurück, nachdem er sich zuvor mit Deutschland beschäftigt hat. Auf Einladung des Goethe-Instituts hat er Mumbai besucht, dessen Vorstädte zu den größten und dicht besiedelten urbanen Räumen der Welt zählen. Anders als im westlichen Verständnis von Suburbia zeigt sich hier eine dystopische Realität, geprägt von Müll, Luftverschmutzung und Lärm. Das Stadtbild wird dominiert von einer chaotischen Mischung aus halbverfallenen Gebäuden, modernen Hochhäusern, Slums, Plakatwänden und Hochstraßen, mit einer unglaublichen Bevölkerungsdichte von 22.000 Menschen pro Quadratkilometer. Bialobrzeski verdichtet in seinen neuen Bildern die intensiven Eindrücke dieser Stadt, die zwischen lokalen Traditionen und den Kräften der Globalisierung oszilliert. Seine Arbeiten wurden international ausgestellt, und er hat mehrere Auszeichnungen erhalten, darunter den World Press Award. Der begleitende Text stammt von Rahul Mehrotra, einem praktizierenden Architekten in Mumbai und Professor für Stadtplanung an der Harvard University.
Extract from 23rd Oct 2013: “I cross a road I am not supposed to cross. […] As I walk towards the building, I am spotted by a man who runs a coffee stall in the basement. His initial communication over 50 yards is the international sign for ‘come here and we’ll cut your throat’. The New York Times nominated Beirut as #1 in its list of The 44 places to Go in 2009.” Peter Bialobrzeski is a world-renowned photographer and the recipient of several awards including the prestigious “World Press Photo Award” in 2003 and 2010. He is also the author of over ten photobooks, including “Neon Tigers”, “Heimat”, “Lost in Transition” and “Paradise Now”.
Oktober 2016. In Kooperation mit der Westfalenpost und unter Anleitung des Fotografen Peter Bialobrzeski haben sich Studierende der Hochschule für Künste Bremen in den Städten Arnsberg, Hagen, Olpe und Siegen mit dem Thema Strukturwandel fotografisch auseinandergesetzt. In zehn individuellen Positionen entsteht nicht nur ein Spannungsbogen zwischen Stadt und Land, Tradition und Moderne sowie Jung und Alt sondern ein subjektives und zeitgenössisches Portrait der Region Südwestfalen. Mit Fotografien von Laura Achenbach, Yoshiko Jentczak, Sabine Lewandowski, Ricardo Nunes, Stefanie Preuin, Christina Rabe, Christina Stohn, Marvin Systermans, Avani Tanya und Aleksandra Weber.
Five years ago, Peter Bialobrzeski began his “Second Heimat” project, following his earlier work in 2005. By setting his navigation to “avoid Autobahn,” he explored Germany, seeking to understand how and where Germans live and how they experience their reality. His travels took him through small towns, larger cities, and suburbs, prompting reflections on the concept of home for the majority of citizens. The book features Bialobrzeski's stunningly composed images paired with Henning Sußebach's text, which delves into places, non-places, and memories, creating a rich narrative about Germany and its essence that can be challenging for outsiders to grasp. “More than thirty years after Stephen Shore’s Uncommon Places, I embark on a journey through Germany, coinciding with the twenty-fifth anniversary of reunification. I aim to describe and explore the country’s social landscape... Like Walker Evans, I seek to capture how the present might be perceived as past. To echo another inspiration: I want to visualize what the country I’ve inhabited for fifty years looks like through my lens.” (Peter Bialobrzeski)
In nineteenth-century Calcutta, a wealthy Indian elite flourished under British rule, creating unique mansions that blend Mughal and classical architecture. Today, these once-grand structures are deteriorating. Guided by Peter Biaolobrzeski, photography students documented this cultural heritage for the Kolkata Heritage Photo Project, culminating in a unique book.
Nur wer sich seiner selbst gewiss ist, zieht AUS und findet neue Wege. Das Magazin AUS der Hochschule für Künste Bremen bezieht Position im Miteinander von Mode und Fotografie, Philosophie und Grafik. AUS handelt vom Eigensinn und Draußensein – lebensnah, verstörend und vertraut. AUS stellt die Arbeiten junger Gestalterinnen und Gestalter vor, deren Mode von Fotografinnen und Fotografen aus subjektiver Perspektive interpretiert wurde. Sie findet ihre Entsprechung in der Grafik, trifft sich mit Richard Buckminster Fuller oder zieht mit Henry David Thoreau in den Wald. Assoziationen rufen neue Bilder hervor. Das Material entwickelt ein Eigenleben, entfaltet sich und wird zum Medium. AUS ist ein Dialog zwischen den Disziplinen.
During his travels through China, Peter Bialobrzeski was fascinated by the so-called nail houses. Surrounded by tall, newly constructed buildings, these houses have been earmarked for demolition, but their owners resolutely refuse to vacate. In his thought-provoking series the artist photographs these isolated structures, often in the evening hours, when the brightly lit interiors convey the domestic comfort that these homes provide for their owners, despite all the cracks in the walls. Peter Bialobrzeski (* 1961 in Wolfsburg) uses his camera to offer these renitent structures moral support. Following the publication of Case Study Homes and Informal Arrangements, this striking series completing the Habitat trilogy poses uncomfortable questions to the viewer. It also emphatically underscores the fundamental right of every human being to a home and sense of security.
His book of photos, The Raw and the Cooked, Peter Bialobrzeski sets forth the essence of his observations from his unique series of photos about the development of Asian mega-cities (Neon Tigers, Lost in Transition) and their slums (Case Study Homes). Starting with the simplest, homemade vernacular architecture, based on human proportions and made with found construction materials, his photos range as far as the exorbitant planned cities of glass, steel, and concrete. Buildings rise higher and higher into the sky, more and more resources are wasted, the new unmercifully shoves aside the old. Seductively beautiful tableaux from fourteen different countries depict the kind of "progress" that triggers a sense of anxiety and trepidation. Where is all of this leading?
Photography of domestic interiors in Kliptown, the poorest quarter of the old township of Soweto.