Wanderlust Series

Hadi Hand


The photo series from the 50s is a result of a long-time search for time documents expressing a view onto the wanderlust of people in post-war Germany. Especially the vacations in different destinations within Europe are mirroring the longing for distance and vastness. The choice of their (people of post-war Germany) or her (the wandering) destinations determines the compositional construction and contents of the pictures which are saved as memories and can be taken home. No events but "must-sees" (or viewed landmarks) become manifest in the photographs. Motives like massive mountains, little lakes, apparently intact villages etc. come to the fore whereas people are playing a minor/sub-ordinated role; these are elements for creating an experienced substitute reality at home. The intervention into this contemporary history is the subject of the photo series putting its contents of truth to the test. For this purpose the viewer accompanies a wanderer in her ideal world. In the photographs the woman in her traditional costume conveys the impression to move carefree from place to place that have always existed like that. The manipulations are excessive and massive and apparently seem to be normal. They adapt themselves to the the language of photography, for example to the display of immense nature, and still seem to be integrated although they are not to scale. They are virtually growing out of their given structures. The change of the wanderer's surroundings or rather the places she has seen is the result that should cause irritations in perception.