Katharina Gruzei - Hatje Cantz

A front view of the photography book Mir Metro by Katharina Gruzei. The square, dark teal, cloth-bound cover features the title Мир Метро and Mir Metro in silver foil. Below the title are two inset photographs: one in black and white of a person on an escalator, and one in color of a reflective, red marbled interior. The book is standing on a white surface.

A front view of a hardcover book with a dark teal, textured cloth cover, standing against a plain light grey background. In the center of the cover is a rectangular photograph of a circular, modern light fixture with glowing spokes radiating from a dark center. Below the image, white text lists contributors, including Boris Groys and Abigail Solomon-Godeau.

A dark teal, cloth-bound hardcover book titled Мир Метро / Mir Metro by Katharina Gruzei stands against a light grey background. The cover features two inset images: a smaller, black-and-white photo of a person on an escalator, and a larger color photo of red marbled stone with light reflections.

A dark teal hardcover book stands at an angle on a white surface. The front cover features an inset square image of a circular, illuminated object with radiating white lines against a black background, resembling a stylized eye. Silver text is printed on the front cover and the spine.

A studio shot of two hardcover books with dark teal cloth covers, titled Мир Метро Mir Metro by Katharina Gruzei in silver text. One book stands vertically, showing its cover with two inset photos of subway scenes. The other book lies horizontally, displaying its spine against a plain white background.

A two-page spread of a book's table of contents on a white background. The content is presented in three languages: English, Russian, and German. Each entry, including chapter titles and authors, is listed in all three languages, with corresponding page numbers aligned to the outer edges of the pages. The book appears to be titled Mir Metro.

A page from a publication titled Traveling through Space and Time by Katharina Gruzei. On the left, a historical blue-tinted photograph shows people taking shelter on cots inside the long, arched hall of the Mayakovskaya metro station in Moscow during an air raid. On the right, an essay discusses the Moscow underground train network.

A two-panel photograph of a busy, ornate subway station. On the left, a blue train arrives at the platform from a high-angle view. On the right, a side view shows passengers boarding the train next to grand white columns with decorative capitals, under an elaborate ceiling with recessed lighting.

A large mosaic portrait of a man with a prominent mustache is centered on a white, curved wall in a public station. The artwork is flanked by two vertical, glowing light fixtures. Below the portrait is a tiled archway, and two security cameras are mounted on the wall above the mosaic.

An interior view of a grand metro station looking through a large, red and black marble archway. The arch is flanked by two large bronze statues in niches, one of a person tending to a wounded comrade and the other of a seated sailor. Through the arch, a group of passengers stands on a platform waiting for a subway train.

A composite image of an ornate subway station. On the left, a wide view of the station's hall with a yellow vaulted ceiling, grand chandeliers, and marble-like pillars where people walk. On the right, a close-up of a mosaic in a decorative white frame, depicting Vladimir Lenin giving a speech.

A three-photo collage of life in an ornate, marble subway station. The large photo on the left shows an elderly woman in a headscarf reading a book while waiting on the platform. The two smaller photos on the right show wider views of the station, with a train pulling in and commuters walking on stairs and balconies.

A moody, black and white photograph looking down the length of a grand, vaulted subway station hall. A massive, intricate chandelier composed of glowing rods and spheres hangs centrally, illuminating the arched alcoves that line the polished walls. The vast space is empty except for two lone figures standing in the shadows at the far end.

A diptych of two photographs from a subway. On the left, a male train operator in a dark blue uniform stands in the doorway of a teal train car. On the right, a female maintenance worker in a blue and orange uniform stands among commuters in an ornate station with a large mural on the wall.

A diptych showing Russian police officers in a subway station. On the left, a few officers in winter hats stand on a platform among civilians. On the right, a long column of many officers in uniform rides up an escalator, seen from behind with the word ПОЛИЦИЯ on their backs.

A photo spread showing two different entrances to the Moscow Metro. On the left is a standalone, octagonal red building in a plaza under a cloudy sky. On the right is a grand, neoclassical white entrance with a large archway, where people walk on the wet pavement.

A photographic triptych on a two-page spread. On the left, two vertical panels show a person behind a glass door with a red Russian No Entry sign; their face is obscured by a yellow circle on the glass. On the right, a larger panel shows a woman in a bright red coat pushing through a similar door.

A diptych on a book page. The left image is a close-up of a circular framed artwork showing a mosaic of a ski jumper in an orange suit, soaring through the air. The right image is a photograph from behind of a man and a woman standing still on a subway platform, facing a blank, white-tiled wall.

A diptych showing two subway workers in uniform. On the left, a woman in a red beret stands on a platform as a blue train blurs past. On the right, a worker in a gray cap stands at the bottom of a long escalator, looking seriously at the camera.

Katharina Gruzei

Mir Metro

€ 58.00

VAT included. Shipping costs will be calculated at checkout

November 2021, 496 Pages, 445 Photos

Linen Hardcover

250mm x 326mm

ISBN: 978-3-7757-5083-7

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.

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| Underground Palaces

The Moscow Metro is a unique place. With a network of 400 kilometers of lines, exceptionally deep tunnels and stations, and nearly nine million passengers a day, it is one of the most heavily frequented underground subway systems in the world. Katharina Gruzei explored it over several years and now presents an aesthetically fascinating and socioculturally remarkable photographic survey. Ideologically charged and symbolic of Russia's eventful history, the Metro was started as a prestige project and simultaneously conceived to also be used as a bunker. It was always intended as a place for people to congregate and is still today a living space where social, political and societal tendencies are made legible. With her photo series, the artist enables an extraordinary journey through time and space in the underground of Moscow, a metropolis of millions.

KATHARINA GRUZEI (*1983) studied fine arts at the University of Art in Linz and the University of the Arts Berlin. She lives and works in Linz and Vienna as a freelance artist specializing in the media of photography, video, film, sound, and installation.