MICHAEL KERSTGENS “PHOTOGRAPHY OF PARTICIPATION”

Since the 1980s, German documentary photographer Michael Kerstgens (* 1960, GB) has focused on long-term photographic essays that illuminate the transformation of places and people while capturing social upheavals. Kerstgens favours a participatory approach to photography, as first seen in his series “The Enemy Within” about the British miners’ strike of 1984/85. During this critical period, he lived with a striking family – an experience that profoundly influenced his work and permanently changed his perspective. Questions such as ‘How do you become part of a community?’ and ‘What happens between the photos?’ have been central to his photography since that time.

In his talk which accompanies the FFF exhibition MICHAEL KERSTGENS. OUT OF CONTROL, Kerstgens will highlight two other projects: With “Neues Leben. Juden. Russen. Deutsche” (published by Kehrer Verlag, 2012), Kerstgens previewed his long-term project on Jewish life in Germany, which he began in 1992. For “Hartes Leben auf der Höh’” (first published by Athesia-Tappeiner Verlag, 2017), he spent months documenting the life of a mountain farmer on an alpine pasture. Both works embody the principle of participation, the building of trust and the unique opportunity to capture intimate moments. These bodies of work invite us to gain deeper insights into human relationships and cultures.