If the clock is ticking on your Christmas shopping, how about a photographic journey through time? Aus Einem Land Vor Unserer Zeit – Die Kinder von Kleinwelka (“From a Land Before Our Time – The Children of Kleinwelka”) is a book of photos that Anne Waak and Janne Gärtner began making when they realized they had both visited the same amusement park in Saxony in 1992 at the age of 10. After finding photos of their separate visits to the park – called Kleinwelka – the pair decided to carry on collecting, resulting in a book of 90 amateur photographs taken between 1978 and 1999. They capture mothers with children in colorful clothes, teens wearing 80s looks and even a wedding party. All the subjects are seen striking poses in front of the giant concrete dinosaurs that filled the GDR-era site.
Fast forward to the present day – or rather next year – to the Doggystyle 2022 calendar from photographer Daniel Gebhart de Koekkoek. Having skilfully staged cats, alpacas and guinea pigs for his photos in recent years, Koekkoek has brought together 12 dogs for his latest calendar. Each month features a funny tableau, with dog heads peeking out of jogging gear, suits and chef’ jackets while human hands protrude from the sleeves. Fun fact: Limo, Koekkoek’s very own dog, has a starring role as Mr October. Since dogs look great in calendars, here’s another one from Berlin photographer Bastian Thiery, who photographed four-legged creatures in and around Neukölln’s Weserhalle gallery. The result is the Dogs of Weserhalle calendar, the sale of which will support Tierschutz Berlin. Now back to us two-legged creatures – and the question of the nature of human friendship: this is the theme and starting point for Junge Akademie’s academic calendar(October 2021 to March 2023), which includes six subject-specific reflections and a series of works from Swiss artist collective CKÖ. A wonderfully philosophical, well-designed – and practical – gift.
Text: Nike Wilhelms / Photos: © 2021 berlinartbooks, Berlin, and Janne Gärtner & Anne Waak, Daniel Gebhart de Koekkoek, Bastian Thiery, Die Junge Akademie, CKÖ.
“Aus Einem Land Vor Unserer Zeit – Die Kinder von Kleinwelka” from Janne Gärtner and Anne Waak (Berlin Art Books, 148 pages, in German)
Doggystyle Calendar 2022 from Daniel Gebhart de Koekkoek
Calendar 2022: Dogs of Weserhalle, photos by Bastian Thiery
2021–2023 Academic Calendar from the Junge Akademie
