Working Places

The photos from the series Arbeitsräume, show places that are all about intellectual work. They are portraits of artists and designers inside their studios. These rooms had originally been built for a completely different purpose until technological advances of the 20th century meant they could no longer be used by today’s industry. Light-flooded rooms and generous floor plans distinguish the rooms. Sometimes it is still possible to spot some remains of the former working environment, whereas everything has been painted white and been adapted to new use in other rooms. In that sense the photos are symbolic of a changing working world: portraying the ongoing process of globalisation, they still point to the role of today’s individual.

The people pictured are not shown while actually doing their work. Instead, they mostly look straight into the camera, sort of communicating with the viewer. The relationship – and tension – between character and space is crucial for this work, which is why I deliberately refrained from any special poses.