Jean Paul Soulscapes

2011–2012

The triple catastrophe of earthquake, tsunami and Fukushima nuclear accident of March 2011 suddenly and brutally jerked my Korean wife and me out of our familiar life in the Tokyo metropolis and catapulted us back to my small German hometown of Wunsiedel in the Northern Bavarian countryside.

After the drab concrete jungle of Tokyo and the traumatic experiences of being refugees we recovered by walking around Wunsiedel on the intimately familiar paths of my childhood, enjoying the views of the early spring landscape around us. Healing times. While walking, I got the idea to make a photo series related to the novelist Jean Paul.

Slideshow

Artist Statement

jean paul

Remembering Gwangju

2009–2010

On May 18, 1980, students and citizens started the Uprising and Movement for Democratisation in the city of Gwangju/South Korea. The US-sponsored military dictatorship answered with bloody force. After a couple of days, however, the citzens of Gwangju suceeded in temporarily driving out the military from the city. For five days, the Gwangju people governed themselves in the liberated city, they held meetings, discussions and practised direct democracy.

Slideshow

Artist Statement

Gwangju