KAZAN IN FEBRUARY
Kazan, Russia 2018 & 2020
The question of where one comes from and where one belongs is at times difficult to answer. Cultural roots and a national identity need time, a physical territory, and fellow human beings to grow. When these elements are missing, something similar to nomadic patterns evolve - the restless feeling of being on a constant search.
Born in the Soviet Union and growing up in Germany, I developed an ambiguous relationship to my native culture. This conflict of identity fed the desire to learn more about Russia and its current condition. The camera became my companion and guide on this journey.
In 2018, I began a long-term project to better understand the Russians. Kazan was the first subject I chose to explore - a city full of contrasts and possibilities, where Russian culture, Tatar tradition, and modernity seem to coexist peacefully. Yet beneath the surface of a city on the move, dividing lines became visible in everyday life. They run between a Soviet-socialized generation and the youth culturally oriented towards the West, between classical gender roles and the desire for emancipation, and between material status and artistic self-realization.
Over the span of eight weeks, I daily photographed on the winter streets of Kazan, at theaters and bars, at mosques and churches, at markets and cultural events. As a social scientist, I am interested in how context affects people and how people shape their environment. Photography encapsulates this relationship, providing a glimpse into the lives of others. This project has, in turn, led me to a deeper understanding of my own cultural roots.
EXHIBITIONS
2022 - in:between pop-up Gallery, Mannheim [solo exhibition]
2021 - National Gallery of Modern Art, Kazan [solo exhibition]
2020 - DELTABEBEN, Port25 Raum für Gegenwartskunst, Mannheim [group exhibition]
