Fotobokfestival Oslo 2015: 990 Faces, Hans Jürgen Raabe (DE)

Exhibition at Goethe-Institue

Opening 12th September 2015, 12.00-14.00
Grønland 16, Oslo

The idea to this mammoth project is subjected to a strict order. Hans Jürgen Raabe wants to take 990 portraits: 30 in each of 33 places. It's a global photo-project which will span around 10 years.

Through his portraits he wants to draw a picture of his time. Not in black and white like August Sander once did, but in color. Unlike Sander, he does not categorize by profession or by stand. Raabe looks for places, that have a special meaning for the world or for himself.

Wheter Myanmar, Lourdes or the October festival in Munich, Marrakech or the Fifth Avenue in New York - vanishing points of Raabes work are formed by carefully chosen places that represent exceptions to the norm, that have about them that special air of normality or, vice verse, mundane air of being special. The project is a photographic record of thirty-three visits to these places that aims to capture their magic without making these places themselves an object of contemplation - but simply designating them the "stage" on which human life is played out, in all its mundaneness, uniqueness, normality and individuality.

Dedicating a large format phonebook to each stage of his project 15 books have been published so far. Released one by one you can literally see this project grow.