It was about 20 years ago when, in the back of my head, the non-profit- project zeitraum, started. Some of you might still remember.

Click to View Zeitrum Cover

Phase 1 of the project was a photo gallery concept raum auf zeit 321 (countdown for a space for a limited time) which at the time, i realized 1985 with two friends of mine, andreas bee and claus schmidt in Mannheim, Germany.

Phase 2 Zeitraum - gleichzeitig-gleichgültig (a period of time- at the same time - at the same sense ) took shape from 1986 until 1989. The whole year of 1987 I was requesting and collecting personal images from 12 friends (couples) around the world, in order to get "a picture" of what those people are doing over "a period of time" (zeitraum) - of one year. The result was printed in 1988 in a limited edition volume of 260 pages , which I published and financed (isbn 3-923003-41-2). The following two years all the images went on a traveling exhibition. (at the time the internet and websites had not been part of the vocabulary). The people involved in that project have been:

Andreas Bee, Karl-Heinz Bongartz, Sonja Bullaty/Angelo Lomeo, Oscar Graca Couto, Judith Falkenstein, Diane & Dennis Griggs, Hans Hörr, Nico Hofmann, Detlev Meinerz, Steven B. Nichols, Ilse Rousseau, Adi Schlippert, Jochen Sendler

In the introduction to the book i was projecting a third part for this Zeitraum trilogy.

Phase 3 was supposed to be the Zeitpunkt (a specific point in time).
since phase 2 stretched over more than 4 years my energy and pockets were drained.
I then concentrated on the next step in my life: the move to New York. This kept me occupied for a few years and changed my life completely. In that fast paced place time became a new dimension again. You live faster, walk faster, work faster, think faster and talk faster. The city became the most important intersection for me, personally and professionally. The whole spectrum of human individuals crossed my way. I met the most interesting people, made new friends, had countless of visitors from the old world and finally met my wife Marie in 1993. in 1997 our son Matéo was born on a full moon night in the east village.

At the approach of 2000, a new mark in time, i thought it would be the right moment for phase 3 of the Zeitraum project.

I approached 144 colleagues and friends from all continents which have crossed my path the last several years. Some of you have already participated in the earlier projects. With some I lost contact, others I consider real friends, even though, they spread all over the world where time and space seperates us only theoretically. The group of people I chose (s. phase 2) are not necessarily all photographers. Some of you know each other or eventually will meet some day. During next year all the submitted images will be published in a book. Each of you will recieve a copy. A travelling exhibition (this time also on the www) is part of the concept.

For this part of the project I asked for 4 single images ( snapshot, pola, digital, xerox, fine art print- whatever symbolic material ) representing your point of view, wherever you are at that specific point in time 1999-2000.

Image 1: 31.12.1999
1 or more objects out of your garbage/paperwaste you are going to dump in the old year

Image 2: 31.12.1999
a picture or description of your new years eve dinner table (food drink etc)

Image 3: 1.1.2000
and after your first photo of the new year

Image 4: 1.1.2000
and after a self-portrait

The formal quality of the images are absolutely secondary I was rather interested in each participant's direct environment, than the pretty picture. If no camera was available ,writing was also accepted.

Everyone who took part, thanks for your time.


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