Blue and red "sparks" – as two Cologne Carnival associations are called – on a grey background. Cologne photographer Patrick Essex photographs the entire Carnival parade with the help of an extremely strong flash – from a bird's eye view. The longest Shrove or "Rose" Monday parade is nearly 7 kilometers, making the project as such dizzying. Each float and celebrator is photographed. The flash allows for very quick exposures, freezing the pirouettes of marching association members amidst the movement of dancing figures. The "carnivalers" were informed about the project beforehand, and some dancers countered the unusual perspective by laying down on the asphalt in silly greeting. While clever viewers did not let this bother them, the gesture did cause some confusion among parade spectators. The idea for the project came to the photographer in Hong Kong, as he looked down at a Chinese holiday parade from a tall building. The transformation of the entire parade into abstract figures and colorful signs is a grandiose display of uniqueness.

Stephan Reisner