Sonnenallee 

Publication and series of portraits, 2012

"The only rule I set myself was to stay on this road" is the core of my documentation of a specific social unit: the street. These photographs were taken over a period of a year along the Berlin street Sonnenallee, walking forth and back numerous times, exploring intersections of public and private, the familiar and the unfamiliar, the city and nature. I recorded the conversations I had with people who live and work on Sonnenallee and included their personal accounts—addressing questions of belonging and multicultural identity—throughout the pages of the publication.

This series of photographs evolved from repeatedly walking and meeting people living and working on Sonnanellee. I started conversations along the street, which developed into a longer engagement with five young people: Fatima, Yehya, Jad, Eda and Müjgan. Photographs of the street were combined with portraits taken in Königsheide, a forest at the end of Sonnenallee. Having left behind the urban grid, the young protagonists and I found ourselves in a space associated with home (Heimat) and self-reflection. The photographs are layered with fragments of conversations we had that describe experiences of being marginalised, belonging, and affirming one’s identity.

Thanks to Fatima, Yehya, Jad, Eda and Müjgan for sharing their time and perspectives with me.