Berliners, it is said, like complaining: if you find yourself griping about the U-bahn or the dog mess on the street, that’s when you know you are part of the city. There’s living proof of this in “Pieces of Berlin 2014–2018”, Florian Reischauer’s second book of street encounters, based on the blog of the same name. The book is about photography: Reischauer finds strangers on the street and takes their photo with his ropey old film camera; but while the photos are charming, it’s the stories alongside that hook you – stories that show Berliners have a lot to complain about. It is clear that their number one concern is the cost of housing, and that becomes the main subject of the book which tackles issues such as displacement, gentrification and loss of public space. If you are looking for intriguing snapshots of Berliners,＂Pieces＂has many. But it is also an honest attempt at discussing the problems the city faces. It’s not all doom and gloom, though: Berlin-born Tobby believes “everything is going to get cheaper again, once a different city is hip.” Here’s hoping…(Text: Benji Haughton / Photos: Pieces of Berlin)
“Pieces of Berlin 2014–2018”, a project by Florian Reischauer. Get it here.
