Hendrik Zeitler
A Place of One´s Own, 2004 – 2010 (Signed)
Published by Journal , 2011
Size : 28 x 34.5 x 3 cm
150 pages
Hardcover
Languages: English, Swedish, German
ISBN 9789197696678
Images of three alternative collective houses in Norway and Sweden: Blitz and Ya Basta in Oslo and Kvarnis in Western Bothnia. The houses are havens for political movements, necessary meeting places where politics are discussed and practiced on a daily basis. “In these houses, we encounter an underlying aesthetic that reflects lifestyle, through fashion and decoration. Although we strongly recognize many similar places in other countries, the houses are subject to change—slogans and symbols change, houses are demolished or renovated, people come and go. While history is present for the residents, it is also elusive. Over time, living memory will disappear, and documents will become the only thing left to tell us about people and daily life.” Text by Ana Betancour
I first came into contact with the Ya Basta house in 2000 through a friend from the animal rights movement. From then until the house was demolished in 2005, I spent a lot of time there. Contacts with the other two houses were also established through a mixture of political networking and personal friendship. Suddenly, I saw how quickly these places were changing: Ya Basta was demolished in 2005, Blitz was renovated in 2009, and at Kvarnis, the rooms were constantly being changed by people coming and going. The images of Ya Basta were taken in 2004–2005, Blitz in 2006–2010, and Kvarnis in 2007–2009.
- Text by the artist