JOIN USShot using a view camera, these stark frontal images in muted tones have been captured using natural light, which bear testimony to the skill of the photographer. “I didn’t want to make art. The sculptural quality of these places, the quality of the surfaces ensured that there was no need for me add anything,” said Koppelkamm speaking about his approach.
The exhibition showcases East Germany in a before and after format juxtaposing pictures of the same space shot years apart. Koppelkamm controls every aspect of the picture with great precision to ensure that the only thing that is different about the fraternal twin of the shot is the change that has occurred in the subject.
The intellectuals may wonder if these images are at least in part a political statement given that of the dual images the photograph taken during his second stint in East Germany between 2002-03 bear all the marking of a developed, well-governed state. Koppelkamm refutes these allegations arguing, “It is not a propaganda for the money that was pumped in by West Germany. I feel rather ambivalent about it. A lot of these pictures trace things that were lost. If you knew the situation in East Germany then you can read a lot in these images. Many people in the East lost a lot. While some people gained a lot due to the fall of the wall, some lost a lot. When many of these buildings were renovated, a lot of people were displaced and lost their jobs.”
Talking about the inspiration behind these photographs, he said, “I didn’t have a plan. I was curious about the East. I was really amazed. I felt like I was travelling back in time. There were no ads or any such thing. It was fascinating to go back and see these places after the Berlin wall was broken. The interest was to see state of development there.”
The exhibition is worth a visit and art and history buffs can head to CMH Road. Ortszeit Local Time can be viewed between 9 am and 6.30 pm till August 8.