His interrogations project and accompanying book schilt, 2011 has received notable recognition and accolades from world press photo, pdn, aperture, and many others. Winner of world press photo 2012, in the category portraits, stories. After collaborating with donald on his book interrogations we regularly saw each other and always talked about the changes in documentary photography. Select images from interrogations on display among the 2012 winners of world press photo. His interrogations project and accompanying book schilt, 2011, about postsoviet authority in ukraine and russia, was published to international acclaim from world. Regular and limited editions of the interrogations book are available in the shop. Weber s vision is cleareyed and unflinching in its sober directness, which makes it both effective and discomfiting to look at. I had been aware of donald weber s interrogations for quite a while. That same afternoon i met jan rosseel, the belgian photographer.
Projects include interrogations, war sand, and barricade. The title of donald weber s latest book, interrogations, is very appropriate. Webers interrogations is, in large part, a collection of startlingly blunt portraits of prisoners being interrogated. A history volume iii winner of world press photo 2012, in the category portraits, stories. They are young and old, male and female, weak unfortunates and hardened criminals, all orphans of secret histories and hidden dramas that are scripted and played out by the modern state. Polygon after collaborating with donald on his book interrogations we regularly saw each other and always talked. In this visionary rite of images, texts, and scientific data, photographer donald weber, writer larry frolick and physicist kevin robbie explore the sand beaches where the dday invasion was once fought, inch by inch, hand to hand. Together, quantifiable and relative aspects are defining the essence of storytelling which, in itself, is the ultimate art performed in war sand. After a lone trip to chernobyl in 2005, donald weber soon returned to the abandoned site of the nuclear disaster and spent the next six years in russia and ukraine photographing the ruins of the unstoppable storm we call history. Interrogations is the result of his personal quest to uncover the hidden meaning of the bloody 20th century. After i saw the book, weber and i talked about this project in person, and we. He freelanced for the international press in places as diverse as africa, eastern europe, russia and south america before taking aim at the bigger picture.
The first part of his book shows ukrainian landscapes and scenes. The work and the ensuing debates just felt too obvious, too much along the lines of what one could expect. After a lone trip to chernobyl in 2005, donald weber soon returned to the. Artist research donald weber interrogations thomas. Weber is the recipient of many fellowships and awards, most notably a 2007 guggenheim fellowship. As an historical event, however, it has the potential to vibrate myth. Donald weber is a canadian photographer fascinated by the subject of power and how it deploys an allencompassing theatre for its subjects. The text mentions policemen, thugs, working girls and more. Interrogations photographs by donald weber lensculture. Interrogations by donald weber 20111201 donald weber on. Interrogations donald weber curated by curated by patrick macaulay. After i saw the book, weber and i talked about this project in person, and. Feb, 2012 but in donald webers new book, interrogations, itself an interrogation of the way state power plays out across stretches of eastern europe, the canadian photographer seeks to show the. Dec 01, 2011 donald weber originally worked as an architect in rotterdam with urban theorist rem koolhaas office for metropolitan architecture.
Dec 01, 2011 even if you only vaguely consider buying this book, just do. It is a book of great photos on a disturbing subject. Interrogations, about postsoviet authority in ukraine and russia, was selected to be included in martin parr and gerry badgers seminal the photobook. Weber s interrogations is, in large part, a collection of startlingly blunt. After i saw the book, weber and i talked about this project in person, and we continued an email correspondence. Donald weber born 1973 is a photographer who focuses on the effects of world power. Interrogations 80,00 after a lone trip to chernobyl in 2005, donald weber soon returned to the abandoned site of the nuclear disaster and spent the next six years in russia and ukraine photographing the ruins of the unstoppable storm we call history. Donald webers new book interrogations takes us into the dark hole of humanity, into the room where people take on roles as accusers and accused. Given that donald webers interrogations has just been awarded a world press photo award in the portraits category, now is a good time to look at the book of the project. Interrogations, about postsoviet authority in ukraine and russia, has gone on to much acclaim. In dialogue with writer larry frolick whose own ancestors had been decimated in the final months of ww ii weber insistently and provocatively addresses his questions both to the living survivors and to the ghosts of the states. Viewers are likely alert to this early on, but they are not informed about the circumstances the book documents. It is a meditation on what these interrogation rooms, and the people who enter and leave them, represent. The euromaidan revolt with arthur bondar, 2015 and war sand.
I spent the majority of the night looking at this book in particular by donald weber interrogations upon first glance i thought this book was. Given that donald weber s interrogations has just been awarded a world press photo award in the portraits category, now is a good time to look at the book of the project. After a lone trip to chernobyl in 2005, donald weber soon returned to the abandoned site of the nuclear disaster and spent the next six years in russia and ukraine photographing the ruins of. The photos, taken last year, form the centerpiece for his new book, interrogations, being published this fall by schilt publishers. Snowy concrete jungles of block housing in siberia, casual portraiture in interior ukrainian settings with patterns so garish its. The euromaidan revolt with arthur bondar, 2015 and war sand 2017. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that delivers new books. Oct 11, 2011 donald weber photographed these scenes as police tried to get confessions from the suspects. Interrogations, schilt, 2011 with texts by larry frolick, and donald weber.
Donald weber interrogations 2011 photography quantity. Donald weber photographed these scenes as police tried to get confessions from the suspects. Donald weber, confessions of an invisible man, interrogations, pg. In this terrifyingly real photobook, canadian photojournalist donald weber takes. Interrogations by donald weber 17 x 24 cm portrait. Travelling and living with ordinary people who had endured much, and survived everything, weber began to see the modern state as a primitive and bloody sacrificial rite of unnamed power. A history, martin parr and gerry badgers important publication in the field of photography that collates and analyses. Beginning with a prologue of neutral documentary photography in the surrounding area, weber sets the scene.
Bastard eden, our chernobyl, dealing with daily life in a postatomic world, won the photolucida book award. Its simply one of those precious books which got the full care such a project deserves. Set in russia and the ukraine, the book is made up of a series of portraits of people being questioned in different interrogation rooms, each as sparse as the next. He is a member of vii photo agency weber s books include bastard eden, our chernobyl 2008, interrogations 2011, barricade. After a lone trip to chernobyl in 2005, donald weber returned to the abando. He freelanced for many publications in canada and abroad before devoting his artistic career to an epic study of how power deploys an allencompassing theatre, implicating everyone in its secret collaboration with both masters and victims. The title of donald webers latest book, interrogations, is very appropriate. Weber is a photographer and artist exploring the transformations of history through narrative. Firstly, its excellent in a most shocking way a fact that has led to reason two, its inclusion in the latest volume of the photobook.
Donald weber s interrogations is a powerful series of photographs of suspected criminals being subjected to intense interrogation in an unnamed police station somewhere in ukraine. But given what i had seen about it online i had developed absolutely no interest in looking at the book. Interrogations by donald weber prison photography these questions are ones that weber is happy to take on and he has done so in public forums here on prison photography and also at colin pantalls blog and at. Interrogations, a project from canadian photographer donald weber 1973, won 1st prize stories in the portraits category of world press photo 2012. It took the photographer donald weber more than five years to make his way inside a ukrainian police interrogation room. The second part shows harrowing portraits of people who are being interrogated. Dday actually happened, and as such it can be studied in detail. In dialogue with writer larry frolick whose own ancestors had been decimated in the final months of ww ii weber insistently and provocatively addresses his questions both to the living survivors and to the ghosts of the states innumerable victims, resurrecting their final hours by taking their point of view, and performing a kind of incantatory meditation over their private.
Donald weber talks about photographing the radioactive. Even if you only vaguely consider buying this book, just do. Donald weber interrogations the eye of photography magazine. Dday the epic of war, told by a grain of sand the seacoast of normandy churns with history. In 2006, he was on an assignment with police officers in chernobyl when. Interrogations by donald weber tipi photo bookshop. Mar 09, 2012 donald weber, confessions of an invisible man, interrogations, pg. Donald weber who had traveled in the postsoviet countries a lot caught the concept of this word by collecting photo reports about interrogations, and published a book called interrogation. It is a real photography book, meaning that photography, topic and design are working together to make everything more understandable and clear improving the power of the medium. Interrogations is available from schilt publishing. Prior to pursuing photography, weber trained as an architect and worked with rem koolhaas office for metropolitan architecture. The title for this exhibition comes from donald webers recently published book of photographs from his sixyear sojourn through russia and the ukraine. Interrogations is a collection of photographs taken in russia and ukraine over six years of travel by donald webber.
Russian and ukrainian citizens are terrorized in donald. He finally spent 7 years traveling through cities in russia and the ukraine documenting another violent catastrophe. Photographer donald weber, author of interrogations and war sand. In his new book, photographer donald weber explores the dark relationship between policemen, prostitutes, thugs and hustlers within the confines of a russian interrogation room. Great storytelling is never merely about facts, explains donald weber. His first, bastard eden, our chernobyl, won the photolucida book prize and asked a simple question. Russian and ukrainian citizens are terrorized in donald weber. Taking first place in the portraitseries category in this years world press photo demonstrates the recognition he deserves for this thoughtprovoking project. Feb 27, 2012 this is a longterm project, which weber has carefully crafted and explored over a sixyear period. As soon as i plucked this one off the book stack, i was sure id be writing my intro about trump. His interrogations project and accompanying book schilt, 2011, about postsoviet authority in ukraine and russia, was published to international acclaim from world press photo, pdn, aperture, and many others.
The title for this exhibition comes from donald weber s recently published book of photographs from his sixyear sojourn through russia and the ukraine. The euromaidan revolt with arthur bondar, 2015 and war sand 2017 he has had solo exhibitions at phodar foundation, pleven, bulgaria. Fights on the beaches live on in donald webers war sand. Donald weber is a photographer fascinated by the subject of power be it economic, political, or psychological and how it deploys an allencompassing theatre for its subjects. Special editions are available for sale from the interrogations web site. Interrogations by donald weber 20120102 donald weber. Donald weber first went to russia to document the traces of the chernobyl disaster.
Donald weber originally worked as an architect in rotterdam with urban theorist rem koolhaas office for metropolitan architecture. This exhibition focuses not on these portraits, but rather the preface. In dialogue with writer larry frolick whose own ancestors had been decimated in the final months of ww ii weber insistently and provocatively addresses his questions both to the living survivors and to the ghosts of the states innumerable victims, resurrecting their final. It is a simple, elegant book that sears itself into your memory. Interrogations is the result of his personal quest to uncover the hidden meaning of private, unpleasant encounters with unrestricted power. Following an exploratory trip to chernobyl in 2005, donald weber soon. Donald weber by donald weber, 9789053307595, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Russian and ukrainian citizens are terrorized in donald webers. Mar 19, 2014 interrogations by donald weber is not a new book it was published at the end of 2011 but it bears a look now for three reasons.
Donald webers new book interrogations takes us into the dark hole of humanity, into the room where people take on roles as accusers and. Following an exploratory trip to chernobyl in 2005, donald weber soon returned to the abandoned site of the nuclear. Prior to photography, donald weber originally trained as an architect and worked with urban theorist rem koolhaas office for metropolitan architecture oma in rotterdam, the netherlands. Webers books include bastard eden, our chernobyl 2008, interrogations 2011, barricade. Interrogations is the result of his donald weber s personal quest to uncover the hidden meaning of private, unpleasant encounters with unrestricted power.
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