In My Hood – Artist Statement

It was last year in spring when I realized that I had been living in my neighborhood for ten years. Time had passed without me taking notice. When I moved to my neighborhood in the suburban northwest of Hamburg, Germany, in 2008 I was a student. The primary reasons why I moved there were, that the apartment was available and in good condition and that the rent was affordable as well. Ten years later, I finally came to realize that my neighborhood itself was actually a very nice place to live.

So I took the opportunity and tried to capture the hidden beauty of my neighborhood through the lens of my analog camera. I walked for hours in the evenings discovering places I had not known before. And revisiting those places I love. Because for me, in terms of my neighborhood, it actually is all about places, not about people. Even after ten years I hardly know anyone in my neighborhood. It still feels anonymous. And I am fine with that. I consider my neighborhood my personal escape. My retreat. A peaceful place I can return to and relax. Sometimes I really enjoy being alone.

Walking around my neighborhood, the golden rays of sun shined on and through the lush green. Many places appeared magical and enchanted somehow. It was not my intention to be nostalgic, but the pictures do convey a strong sense of nostalgia nonetheless. I would not say they romanticize reality, but they definitely show reality in its finest attire.

This documentary project offered me a welcome change from my usual photography work, which focuses more on story-telling and creative image-making. I enjoyed getting to know my neighborhood even better and I came to appreciate it even more. With these pictures I wanted to create a visual ode to my neighborhood. Hopefully I will be able to call it home for some time to come.

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Features:

UNCERTAIN Mag (Romania, 2019)