Alexander von Reiswitz. Catching Strangers

A two-page book spread. The left page is a full-page, black-and-white photograph of a man with a long white beard holding a toddler's hand and a French bulldog's leash on a busy city street corner. The right page contains two columns of text titled THE LAST REAL GUYS.

A two-page spread from a book, presenting two black-and-white street photographs side by side. On the left, a man with a mustache stands on a Moroccan street, holding the hands of two small children. On the right, a young man and an older woman look out from behind an antique shop window in Romania, with the street reflected on the glass.

A two-page book spread. The left page features a black and white photograph of three people and a small dog posing indoors. A man in a striped turtleneck holds a dachshund, standing next to a woman with dark hair who is embraced by a man in a light-colored suit. The right page contains two columns of text under the heading WATERMELONS ON THE NEVA.

A two-page book spread. On the left, a black and white photograph shows an elderly man with a white beard and cap holding a young boy on his lap. They sit together on a curb in front of a building with a corrugated metal wall. The right page contains a story titled THE SILENT SECRET.

A black and white diptych showing two street photographs. On the left, three men in winter jackets and hats sit on a park bench in Berlin, Germany. On the right, a family of five people of different ages stand together on a sidewalk in New York City.

An open book spread. The left page has two columns of text under the title GAP. The right page features a black-and-white photograph of a family of four and their dog posing for a portrait. They are standing on a grassy hill in winter clothes, with a hazy landscape and an overcast sky in the background.

A two-page book spread in black and white. On the left, a large family of nine people poses for a portrait in a grassy park. On the right, a smaller group of four people and a small white dog sit on the steps of a building on a cobblestone street.

An open book spread. The left page features a black and white, close-up portrait of a multi-generational Japanese family of four. An elderly man in a fedora and an elderly woman in a patterned coat stand in front of a younger man and a young woman in a white scarf. The right page contains two columns of English text.

A two-page book spread displays two black and white photographs side-by-side. The photo on the left shows a family in Casablanca, Morocco, where a mother has her arm around her son as he looks up at her, and a bearded father sits next to them. The photo on the right shows a family of four in Stockholm, Sweden, posing outdoors in front of a concrete structure.

A black and white diptych contrasting two family portraits. On the left, a family of four in coats poses inside an ornate, dark building in Budapest. On the right, a large, multi-generational group in swimwear poses informally on a sunny beach in St. Petersburg, with a volleyball net in the background.

A black and white photograph of a group of six diverse people posing together for a portrait on a city street.

Alexander von Reiswitz. Catching Strangers

The Family Constellation Project

€ 64.00

VAT included. Shipping costs will be calculated at checkout

Amount

By (artist): Alexander von Reiswitz

Edited by: Nadine Barth

April 2025, 224 Pages

Hardcover

275mm x 305mm

ISBN: 978-3-7757-5946-5

HATJE CANTZ VERLAG
Mommsenstr. 27
10629 Berlin
Germany
E-Mail: contact@hatjecantz.de

According to Article 9(7) of the GPSR Regulation, no additional security information is required for books without supplements or special functions.

Press download

Fascinating interpretation of the topic "family"

This book combines photography and literature in a unique project. Over a period of fifteen years, photographer Alexander von Reiswitz captured randomly selected people, who happened to be in the same place at the same time, as fictional families in staged family portraits. These encounters, photographed across various countries and cultures on four continents, inspired new fictional narratives. Renowned authors were invited to create stories based on the photographs, inventing imaginary familial relationships and destinies for the portrayed individuals. At the heart of the project is the role of coincidence, which determines so much, after all—not least what we call the right moment, the instant that in photography produces remarkable snapshots, and in life brings people together or causes them to just miss each other.

Alexander von Reiswitz (*1965 in Málaga) lives and works as a photographer and architect in Berlin. His projects featuring "studio animal portraits," such as Zoogestalten and Animal Stars, have been exhibited in numerous shows worldwide.