Alexander Rischer

Hamburg-based photographer and artist Alexander Rischer, whose works from the last ten years are featured here, conducts a special type of historical research: using traditional, analogue, black and white photography, he presents historical buildings and small architectural elements, bringing to light in some cases outlandish stories and parallel worlds. Mystery surrounds the objects that he focuses on – their original functional contexts are frequently not apparent and a dramatic tug-of-war ensues in which meaning is removed and assigned. Associations develop, inspired by melodious place names or additional visual information. Yet the information in the image remains cryptic and the photographs are puzzling. Alexander Rischer also raises the question of the function of memory and remembrance and the meaning of visual discourses – in particular photographs – for history, memory and remembrance.