Winter in Lichtenberg by Hylke Van der Heide

About "Winter in Lichtenberg"

by Hylke Van der Heide

About the artwork

From hotel Good Morning + Berlin City East a 10-minute walk from the former 'Ministerium für Staatssicherheit' aka the Stasi, I took this photo all the way from the highest and farthest room in the hotel. This, combined with the grey winter morning and the light layer of snow on the rooftops, gave me the unique opportunity to take this semi-desolate, apocalyptic photo. The brutalism prevalent in the Lichtenberg district is a true Valhalla for the enthusiast. Platenbau in its purest form. Don't get me wrong, staying here too long automatically puts you in a sad state of being due to the simple lack of colour and sunshine in winter. That combined with an already quite Protestant Calvinist and individualistic disposition of the Berlin people is really a classic recipe for cynicism and nihilism. And that for the capital of Europe's most prosperous economy.

If you have looked at my profile more often, you will see that in my photos I am looking for expressive symbolism with sometimes a healthy touch of social criticism. the photo admittedly never says this directly, because in a society you also have to learn to ''live together'' and that includes a bit of diplomacy. hence the still lifes. live and let live. enjoy being.

In this photograph, I portray an everyday atmosphere that nevertheless appeals strongly to the imagination. sometimes the context of the photograph and sometimes the photograph in its symbolism says it all.