Study of the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe
A photographic research project on spatial design.
Our research study into the memorial in Berlin synthesises the practices of design thinking, spatial design, and photography.
Statement of intent
Over 5 days in April 2022, the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe in Berlin, Germany was the subject of a photography project. The aim of which was to visually interpret some of the complex historical, political, and societal contexts behind the counter-monument.
The objectives of this project were: To document the spatial and social interactions; to give balanced attention and time to the positive and negative outcomes of the space; and to explore counter-photography ideas which aim to convey the architects vision.
During this period several visual strategies were developed to photograph the memorial: From the architectural space — to visitors behaviours. In addition, experimentations with concepts and camera manipulations aim to convey abstract themes of a “field of otherness” and being “lost in space and time”.
The final portfolio presents a variety of interpretational photographic approaches that collectively illustrate contrasting perspectives of the subject.
Acknowledgements
Sincere thanks to the Stiftung Denkmal für die ermordeten Juden Europas for granting permission to photograph. In particular Sarah Friedrich as the point of contact throughout.
Additional gratitude is passed-on to the memorial security team for their time to accommodate and inform the project on a daily basis.
Thank you to Erdem Tuzun at Eisenman Architects for assisting in the research of this project. And to Peter Eisenman for realising the memorial itself. The spatial design of which has inspired this photographic enquiry.
On a photographic level, special recognition is extended to: Thomas Bachler, Uta Barth, Karl Blossfeldt, Kyungwoo Chun, Paul Graham, Fan Ho, Jungjin Lee, Michael Kenna, László Moholy-Nagy, and Hiroshi Sugimoto for inspiring several approaches and creative directions.
Declaration
This project is a case study to demonstrate design thinking can inform photography practice.
All work presented in this document is the property of Indigenous Design and Photography Ltd and contains no material from any other source. All inspiration is cited accordingly.
The contents of this document are solely for academic, and non-commercial purposes.
Creative Commons