Vision Quest

The Galerie für Fotografie (GAF) in Hanover presents an exhibition of photographs by Dieter Seitz: ‘The Kazakhstan Project’ will be on display from 8 November to 9 December 2018.

Dieter Seitz’s ‘Kazakhstan Project’ tells the story of an endeavour spanning from 2009 to 2016. The photographer, however, merely sees this period as an intense, conclusive phase of a quest that began many years before.

The nature of his exploration was three-fold: for one, Seitz followed the dramatic upheavals and process of transformation within the formerly socialist country during the 1990s. At the same time, his personal encounters with people from that part of the world made these events more tangible. And lastly, he gained profound insights by immersing himself into the work of authors such as the Kyrgyz writer Tschingis Aitmatows, studying both their fictional characters and vivid literary descriptions of the expanses of Central Asia.

From as early as the 1980s, Seitz used his work to address the discords of our time, such as the friction between tradition and modernity. Many of his observations have gained new relevance today. With his Kazakhstan series, the photographer seeks to document and artistically interpret these developments in visual form, promoting questions such as: What is identity based on? How is social transformation reflected in a country’s culture? The result is a sensitive portrait of a culture influenced by Kazakh traditions, Soviet socialism and Western capitalism.

For further details visit
Galerie für Fotografie Hannover
Dieter Seitz