Annette Herdemann

Some images are inescapably connected with a country, a city, or a nation: The Stars and Stripes, for example, or the Union Jack, or perhaps a yellow taxi. They symbolise countries and cities that are internationally recognised and, though they commonly appear on tourist souvenirs, they are also an integral part of many peoples’ identities. Annette Herdemann uses these powerful symbols as the colourful building blocks for her intricate collages, each of which tells the visual story of a city. The portraits composed by the young artist contain multiple perspectives, bringing together architectural landmarks, famous sites, and everyday scenes from across a city into a single, dynamic image. A white, cloudy, vertical hatch lends the pictures added intensity. The individual elements appear integrated, emerging from the blurry background suddenly and surprisingly, and with no respect to size. The viewer might recognise memorable traces of a busy city visit. Strong, unique impressions of a weekend break, whose own unique logic condenses dreamy impressions into a spectacular, scenic assault on the senses. It appears natural for a traffic light to lean over Brooklyn Bridge, giving a green light to the train below.

Stephan Reisner