7370 km is the distance between the Gate of Heavenly Peace in Beijing and the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin – also marking the distance between the two cultures. The book documents eight months of travelling through both countries. Visiting different cities, the designer photographed more than 40 young people and interviewed them on their current ideals, their dreams, their lifestyles and their understanding of marriage and family. There is no order the readers have to follow. The book invites to browse through the different portraits and different cities and thus reflects on distance itself: coming in a fanfold shape, the documentation can unfold and allows readers to individually discover the two different cultures by themselves. The choice of photographic motifs and colours reflects the sensitive approach towards the portrayed individual’s personal views.
Statement by the jury
»The designer had the excellent idea to render a vivid experience of the distance between Berlin and Beijing by giving the book a fanfold shape. This work documents his travels to different cities in both countries, cities that both serve as backdrops for the portraits of young people and which illustrate the distance itself. The particular colour scheme, the high-quality binding and the concept of the content are highly convincing.«
Credits
Client:
Hochschule für Künste Bremen / University of the Arts Bremen supervising professor Prof. Mareike Foecking