Going through the book for the first time leaves you puzzled - houses (in darker soft tone) followed by trees in the sun and with blue sky - a harsh contrast and banal could one think. After reading the essay and flipping through the book again I felt uncomfortable looking at the "ghost-street", the planted trees even strengthened that feeling. There is no life there anymore, yet the houses are looked after to keep up the idyll. It is kind of living dead (houses). Lovely production, intriguing concept and fascinating photos!

From the essay by Stefanie Gerke: "There is no longer anyone living in the houses on Hasselwerder Straße in Neuenfelde. That is due, strictly speaking, to the geographical location. The street is only a few hundred meters south of the new starting and landing runways of the German headquarters of the firm Airbus. In 2004, Airbus went public with its plans for the extension of the airfield for what is currently the world’s largest passenger airplane, the A380. The mega-liner … was meant to start and land directly over the Hasselwerder Straße. The Hamburg Senate feared lawsuits from the house owners due to the noise pollution and prevented this by simply buying up sixty-seven homes in the approach path. The inhabitants moved out with their belongings; only the shells of the houses remained.

Since 10 years, the Senate maintains the artificial idyll, which also includes the trees, planted on the embankment than, ›in order to counteract the departure of the other residents and the downfall of the entire town".

Softcover with dustjacket, including a leporello at the end (140cm), edition of 500.

Order at Cafe Lehmitz or at 25books

Pages: 88
Place: Berlin
Year: 2013
Publisher: Peperoni Books
Size: 23 x 28 cm (approx.)

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