2001-2009 restmodern – documentary photography: photo series and photo story, photos by Andreas Muhs

restmodern, Berlin, 2001-2009, 371 photos, digital

My son and daughter were born in 2000 and 2001. As they grow up, parents are often reminded of their own childhood experiences. This may have subconsciously led me to search for evidence of my own childhood in the 1970s: exposed aggregate concrete and bright colors in architecture. The “restmodern” series documents post-war modernist buildings that present themselves in an idiosyncratic way and no longer correspond to today's taste. While some objects appear repellent, a playful formal language predominates, especially in buildings from the 1950s to 1970s. This is now perceived very differently again. Contrary to the assumption that the standardized construction methods in the eastern part of the city would not allow for such diversity, equally surprising solutions are found there. The first affordable digital cameras, unfortunately with limited image file sizes, were used to realize this long-term project. Nevertheless, images from the series were shown in three exhibitions between 2003 and 2006, and in 2012 the entire project was presented as a contribution in “Reduce Reuse Recycle, German Pavilion, La Biennale di Venezia.” It was only years after the series was completed that I was ready to select 835 photos from the 1,544 processed ones. From these 835 photos, I had small prints made and put them in the cabinet. Now I just had to wait for the day I felt ready to reduce the 835 prints through a further selection and slide them back and forth on the table until 371 images were distributed across 135 double pages. From these double pages, I again had prints made to arrange them in order on the table. Ten years after the series was completed, I could finally have a book printed. The edition of the book was ten copies, of which three still exist.

Minolta Dimage 7 / Canon 300D