Peter Bialobrzeski: London Diary
© Peter Bialobrzeski, courtesy Hartmann Books & Galerie Peter Sillem
London Diary, December 1–December 8, 2022
December 1, 2022
“It is has been nearly thirty years since I left the city after having lived here for almost a year. Today, the megalopolis presents itself very differently. The City, the financial and economic hub, is slowly but steadily turning into a kind of Singapore. And I keep thinking, oh yes, this is why they left the EU.” – Peter Bialobrzeski
© Peter Bialobrzeski, courtesy Hartmann Books & Galerie Peter Sillem
The city at the beginning of the twenty-first century is the major theme of Peter Bialobrzeski’s “City Diaries”. In this long-term project, which so far comprises 23 volumes, he has been investigating since 2013 whether the preconception of a city — a product of prejudices, personal observations and media communications — can be transformed into a specific image. Whether Osaka or Unna, Wuhan or Wolfsburg, Bialobrzeski is interested in the cultural differences increasingly hidden by globalization, which he makes visible by means of a seemingly objectifying aesthetic.
© Peter Bialobrzeski, courtesy Hartmann Books & Galerie Peter Sillem
Current political and social developments are also reflected in Bialobrzeski’s images and diary entries. Cairo, for example, cannot be understood without the Arab Spring, Athens without the euro crisis, and Wolfsburg, of course, without VW and the emissions scandal. On the occasion of the publication of “Athens Diary,” Melanie Mühl wrote in the FAZ: “Everyone should see these photographs.”
The format and page count of all titles are identical. This systematic approach allows for a comparative view of different urban settings, ranging from a megalopolis like Bangkok to a Westphalian medium-sized town like Unna. Further volumes will be published in loose order over the next few years.
© Peter Bialobrzeski, courtesy Hartmann Books & Galerie Peter Sillem
Peter Bialobrzeski’s work has been exhibited worldwide. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including two World Press Photo Awards (2003, 2010). In 2012 he was granted the Dr. Erich Salomon Award by the German Photographic Society.
London Diary
Peter Bialobrzeski
Text by Peter Bialobrzeski, Design by Sarah Fricke, Distaff Studio
Hartmann Books, 2024
Softcover, 96 pages, 45 ills.
21 x 14 cm
RRP €22