The Life of Ferdi
The idea of realizing this particular project, first arose to me when I saw some other work of photography here on Behance. It was titled "Als du gestern bei mir gewesen bist", which translates to something like "When you were with me yesterday". The work was published by Marcell Davids in 2020. It features several portraits of a man and a woman in a Berlin underground railway station. What especially struck me about this series was the natural and somehow intimate appeal of those two people in a familiar Berlin setting. "Familiarity" could well be linked to something you know deeply and which you might have encountered several times in your life. This was the moment I realized, I had to do a portrait series with a dear friend of mine, Ferdinand, about the settings which he (regularly) visited when he grew up in Berlin.
We start off the series in the borough of Kreuzberg at Eisenbahnstraße. This is the spot, Ferdi came across hundreds or thousands of times. Since Kreuzberg is located in the very heart of a particularly busy and lively part of Berlin, cafés and bars are no rarity.
Eisenbahnstraße in Kreuzberg, Berlin (Berlin Subway Map)
Kreuzberg was located right in between the borderline before 1989, which might well have contributed to its lively and busy character. But both Kreuzberg and the bordering borough of Neukölln are experiencing some change now, towards the direction of gentrification and an aim for more homogeneity.
Continuing our journey towards west, we take to the streets via bicycle, a beloved and commonly used mean of transportation in Berlin to Ferdis music school at Mariannenplatz.
"The Life of Ferdi" - September 2020 - Mariannenplatz, Berlin
Right after, we are headed towards the fairly known Kottbusser Tor. As we approach midday, a little snack surely isn't a bad idea at all. According to Ferdis longstanding experience of street food in Berlin and at Kottbusser Tor in particular, the kebap shop at the corner of Skalitzer and Kottbusser Straße can be warmly suggested.
"The Life of Ferdi" - September 2020 - Görlitzer Bahnhof, Berlin
Furthermore, we are headed to Ferdis old school in the borough of Schöneberg. As it is quite a trip from Kreuzberg to Schöneberg, the underground railway is our onetime and daily choice. Since there is currently construction work done in between the Kottbusser Tor station and Warschauer Straße station, we board the U1 and change at Nollendorfplatz to the U4.
"The Life of Ferdi" - September 2020 - Kottbusser Tor, Berlin
Interestingly enough, Ferdi described the U4 as a sort of school bus on railway tracks, due to it featuring only two wagons and plenty of pupils outside holidays.
While Ferdi recalls that he oftentimes met with people he knew during the transit, the playlist above may be understood as a symbol for the days, he or anyone wasn't interested in having any conversation and decides to roam the city with headphones on, sinking into the realm of whatever music genre he or she enjoys.
Towards the end of our visual journey, we get off the train at Rathaus Schöneberg and enjoy the sunshine outside the white coloured train station. Before us lies a beautiful park with a small pond, right in front of us. We get up after a few minutes of sunlight and cross the park towards its left border and right through the doors of Ferdis old school. What an incredible amount of time, one spends inside some buildings. This is one of them.
Seemingly at the end of our journey, Ferdi turns his back on the blue coloured doors of this building and we take a walk, past all the youngsters enjoying todays end of tuition.
Fast forward two years (starting off the end of high school) and we are standing right here. If we go back those two years, Ferdi will look forward to his year spent in Bolivia. If we go back one year, he'll look forward to ten months at Leibniz Kolleg in Tübingen. The place, where we met each other for the first time.
"The Life of Ferdi" - July 2020 - Southern Germany
I myself, am very glad to have had the opportunity to come to know you a bit Ferdi. Right now, many of us are at just another turning point of their lives. What should I study? Where would I love to study? Questions, that take time but will be answered in the future. I am very much looking forward to the next years and especially to everything, that is still to come. Thank you for your time and openness for this project.
