To Create a Portrait of Germany, Carsten Sander Trusts WhiteWall
Submitted by Andrea Bruchwitz
Collection of portraits of famous and not famous german people - © Carsten Sander | deutschlanddeinegesichter.de.
Carsten Sander removes people from all societal context and takes their portrait in front of a uniform backdrop. The project HEIMAT. Deutschland - Deine Gesichter (“HOMELAND. Germany – Your Faces“) consists of 1,000 portraits of men and women of widely varied ethnicities, ages, and socio-economic classes. Through the complete collection of faces with neutral expressions, the photo artist wants to create an authentic portrait of Germany devoid of prejudice and societal labels.
Portrait of young woman - © Carsten Sander | deutschlanddeinegesichter.de.
It’s a powerful subject granted an equally impressive aesthetic in Sander’s photographs, which he has exhibited in the Willy Brandt House in Berlin and the Wissenschaftszentrum in Bonn.
Portrait of elderly man - © Carsten Sander | deutschlanddeinegesichter.de.
Now, Sander has opened the HEIMAT Galerie in Düsseldorf, where he had all the pieces produced by WhiteWall in premium quality, because he “did not want to make any compromises.”
Portrait of middle aged man - © Carsten Sander | deutschlanddeinegesichter.de.
Sander usually presents his works on photo canvases to give the portraits a lively, tactile aura. The 8-color pigment printing process ensures the colors are saturated, accenting the expressiveness of the pieces. Canvas is also particularly well-suited for traveling exhibitions because the color remains vivid for decades.
Descibtion tag of picture - © Carsten Sander | deutschlanddeinegesichter.de.
For the works in his new HEIMAT Galerie, Sander opted for with passe-partout mats. The Fine Art print on high-end artist paper from Hahnemühle crisply recreates even the smallest details.
Exhibition hall in Düsseldorf - © Carsten Sander | deutschlanddeinegesichter.de.
Some of Sander’s most prominent subjects, including Hannelore Elsner and Peter Nottmeier, attended the grand opening in Düsseldorf.
Hannelore Elsner and Carsten Sander standing in front of her portrait - © Carsten Sander | deutschlanddeinegesichter.de.
There are other famous faces on display in the HEIMAT Galerie including President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Actor Mario Adorf, and Comedian Didi Hallervorden. Through the neutral background and identical poses, everyone brings their own vitality and depth into the huge portrait of a nation. Sander’s motto? “Make everyone equal instead of making them the same.”
