here, artist book, 2015
The photo project here is dedicated to the (pop)cultural phenomenon of graffiti in public space. The artist book shows a collection of graffiti and scratchings found on the walls of Colognes Cathedral. The cathedral, landmark but also cliché of the city of Cologne, becomes the carrier material of a collective memory practice that inscribes itself directly into the walls of the cathedral. Significantly, the word hier/here refers to the fact that a person was actually present at the designated location. The sign thus serves as evidence and direct reference to the creators. When the creators leave the place, the signs become messages of their absence. As a link between interior and exterior space and between private and public space, the wall serves as a medium and storage for the graffiti. Through continuous overwriting and weathering, numerous superimposed layers of signs are created that remain stored in the material, similar to a memory, at least as traces.
Installation view, Glasmoog Cologne 2016
Installation view, Glasmoog Cologne 2016
