Nostalgia

Formentera, October 2022

It started last year, the idea of preparing an exhibition with all the photographs taken within the past 22 years since I initiated in photography aged 25. Portraits taken of the people from Formentera with my old Hasselblad camera. The same one that Alberto gave me in the year 2000 because my first Hasselblad, bought from the money working as a photographer’s assistant, got stolen in Prague. He saw how devastated I was and felt my desire and absolute need to discover, to photograph nonstop, everywhere and all the time. Later he became my boyfriend and teacher, the great spanish photographer Alberto Garcia-Alix.

It took some time to sort out all that analogical archive material which needed to be reviewed and scanned. But finally, all was done, printed out and hung on the wall the same day of the exhibition opening. Deborah helped me out a lot with editing the images in the right order, concerning visuals and context. I had over 100 prints laying on the floor to be stuck on the wall with blue tack, a sort of gum used in galleries. No frames. Just pencil signed prints with name and year. Very simple but effective. Thanks to the help of Stefano, Chano and David, all being portrayed on the wall, that helped to hang as fast as possible. Because the day before I had still been in Berlin giving a book reading at a Parkinson conference. Its all about good organized scheduling, right? Haha..

My mother had come from Berlin for two weeks and, big surprise, my older brother aswell! We did not grow up together but he was still our brother, a very unique bavarian citizen. They all lived together in a beautiful country house on the Cap, where we actually lived in the 80ties and things have not changed too much up there. My mom went off for walks enjoying the present mixed with the past tainted in nostalgia. She loved seeing all her old friends, at least the ones still alive, to embrace life and the moment. Whereas my brother finally got to know the special place which we call our home and he never had been at.

We all enjoyed our family time together and had a blast with all the friends that had come especially for that event to the island. My very best friend Tamsin and Zaadi arrived with two huge flower bouquets to the opening, Pistolo came to stay with us for a few nights. Tavis and Maxwell came. I was so overwhelmed to see everyone together! And, of course, it was such a pleasure to see the older generation looking at their portraits when much younger and appreciating the show. Some of them had not been to social events for ages and suddenly they were all together again! Our parent’s generation who made the island become what it is; a very special place to grow up and live in. Thank you, dear Oldies, for having given us this experience. We are here because of you.

When I was busy giving interviews on the radio, TV and newspapers, I realized that the exhibition was something more than just showing pictures. It was an anthology of the island‘s history, at least during those few 22 years I caught. Which means, I will go on doing photographs like mad, to capture the new generation, the here and now. And to not get lost too much in nostalgia because the present is excitingly bubbling and inspiring!