Peter Bialobrzeski Livres

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.

Peter Bialobrzeski's fascinating and disturbing collection of photographs from the skyscraper landscapes of Asian megacities, Neon Tigers, enchanted many. It was selected as one of the best-designed German books of 2004 and awarded the German Photography Book Prize. After his return from Asia, Bialobrzeski spent more than two years traveling through his native Germany. Heimat, which is German for "homeland," is the result. For Germans, Heimat is a rather difficult term, embodying conflicting destiny and coincidence, sentimental kitsch for pensioners and revisionists, and lost paradise or childhood trauma. In Bialobrzeski's own words, "Having a home means having roots, which is not the same as being rooted to the spot." And since he is more interested in creating images than in detailing the places from which they spring, Heimat is "not a book about Germany as homeland per se." Rather, it creates a fixed image of "a personalized bit of visual and cultural history that goes beyond Germany's dark past, its reunification, and the 'German disease.'" Bialobrzeski's haunting new photographs act as projection surfaces for modern humankind's yearning for home and for nature--an homage at once to German Romanticism and to the works of contemporary American color photographers.

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.

In "Heimat," his previous collection of photographs published by Hatje Cantz, German photographer Peter Bialobrzeski, born in 1961, gave us pictures of his homeland that showed it as it had never been seen before. "Photo International" deemed it "one of the most beautiful and significant photography books this year." Even before that, Bialobrzeski's critically acclaimed exploration of the Asian megacity phenomenon, "Neon Tigers," had made him a common topic of debate on the international photography scene. Bialobrzeski's gift is for the portrayal of epic sweep in urban vistas and of the energies that inhabit and galvanize them. In "Lost in Transition" the photographer applies his grand vision to the transformation of wasteland areas, many of which are located on the peripheries of cities. The photographs were taken in more than 28 cities (including Hamburg, Dubai, New York, Singapore, New Delhi and Kuala Lumpur) and 14 countries and trace the transition from old to new, from the familiar to the abstract, from the dilapidated to the renewed. These images are as seductive and sublime as nineteenth-century Romantic paintings, but their apparent beauty is deceptive. As in his earlier works, Bialobrzeski always tests and pushes at the limitations of the documentary image itself.

An ironic take on the Case Study House Program--initiated in 1945 by Arts and Architecture magazine in an effort to develop low-priced single-family homes by architects such as Richard Neutra and Charles and Ray Eames--German photographer Peter Bialobrzeski's Case Study Homes was shot at the Baseco compound, a squatter camp near the Port of Manila, which is home to an estimated 70,000 people. As Bialobrzeski was considering the series--startling images of provisional structures fashioned from slats, cardboard, corrugated metal and other cast-off materials and refuse--Lehman Brothers Bank collapsed and the media declared a global economic crisis. These recent events lend resonance to Bialobrzeski's images, which recall the photographs of impoverished rural Americans commissioned by the Farm Security Administration in the 1930s. Conceived as a sketchbook for a larger project, the images evidence the human will to survive and a profound resourcefulness.

Preface by Peter Bialobrzeski. Text by Alex Ruhle.

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.

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”.

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)