a friend is a friend of a friend

In the last couple of years acquaintances and networks have been discussed in the media excessively. These local connections seemed charming and were the save havens as anti-poles to the impending threats of globalisation.

Birgit Glatzel looks beyond this scenario produced. In June 1998 she started her foray that led her from Berlin around the globe to friends, their friends and friends of their friends.

This succession ended in Warsaw in June 2002. The artistic method is nearly classical: all portraits are handheld shots made with a vintage Rolleiflex 6 x 6 camera, model 1937. She spends a day with the friends she meets and takes photographs of them in their everyday surroundings, preferably their apartments.

In Birgit Glatzel’s project lines of friends are documented based on reference: „My friends are your friends!“. Each person knows their friend but never the complete line. 340 persons, from 36 cities and 19 countries are part of the net and have been preserved on film.

Exhibitions

2024 Photo London, London
2014 Galerie Pinter & Milch, Berlin
2005 Fortunestreet, London
2003/04 The Israeli Centre for Digital Art. Tel Aviv
2002 Aroma Gallery, Berlin

Publications & Press

2017 Book presentation at „Literary Festival“, Shanghai
2014 Book release „A friend is a friend of a friend“
2004 Presentation at the ifa gallery, Berlin
2004 REDUX magazine, Paris
2001 42° Magazine, Tel Aviv

Links

The data behind one project: https://friends.elektropetze.de/
Book design: https://editienne.de/a-friend-buchgestaltung-und-bildredaktion/