Roland Horn »
Berlin Hauptbahnhof
Exhibition: 7 Nov – 21 Dec 2007
The Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany in New York cordially invites you to the opening of the exihibition "Berlin Hauptbahnhof photographed by Roland Horn" (The exhibition is part of Carnegie Hall's "Berlin in Lights"-Festival) The Project Berlin based photographer Roland Horn spent eight years recording the construction of the new Berlin Hauptbahnhof. The result: impressive photographs depicting the highly complex logistical and technical process that went into building Europe's biggest railway hub. For all the engineers' highly advanced know-how, the workers' abilities were still crucial in realizing the mammoth project. That is why, in addition to highlighting the functional structure's cool aesthetics, Roland Horn's photograhic work focuses on the construction workers' arduous daily tasks. Structural metalworkers and industrial divers, concrete workers and welders, contrast vividly with the building's raw materials and its severe spacial structure. In 1999 when I first took my camera to the construction site, I immediately realized what a gigantic undertaking the Berlin Hauptbahnhof was. It was not just a new building, but a central station built "from scratch" in the middle of a metropolis. From that moment, I was gripped by the empty concrete-walled halls. The graphic shapes of the exposed ceilings had their own beauty - like cathedrals. Through my photographs I want to express my enthusiasm and show the sheer amount of work that goes into a major project of this kind. And I want to convey how beautiful a building can be." Roland Horn The Photographer Roland Horn (born 1964) trained as an industrial and advertising photographer. After working two years as an assistant to advertising and fashion photographers in Hamburg, he moved to Berlin in order to work with photographer Jim Rakete. This was followed by a year doing lighting design at the Berliner Schaubühne theatre before taking the plunge to set up his own photo studio and freelance. Since then, he has published several books of photographs as well as photo reports for magazines and agencies. In May 2004 Roland Horn won the first prize at the Festival for professional Photography Belgrade. In October 2004 he was awarded at the Photokina in Cologne with the "Certificate of Recognized European Photographer". This award was given by the Association of Independent Professional Photographers - PPofE - and the european academy for photography and digital imaging - eap -. In January 2007 he was appointed to be a member of the DGPh (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Photographie). Bookprojects: 'Structure and Light' The roof of the Sony Center at Potsdamer Platz. It weighs 920 tons and is made of glass, steel and lenghts of fabric: the roof structure spanning the 4000-spuare-meter forum of the Sony Center at Potsdamer Platz. It is no normal roof, but a masterpiece of engineering, a vast, floating tent. This is a book for everyone interested in technology, architecture, contemporary photography and the new Berlin. "Big Shots in Berlin" German title "Große Tiere in Berlin" The German title "Große Tiere" is a homonym which means in German "huge animals" as well as "big shots". The idea for this book was to ask "big shots" out of politics, culture, media and sports to choose an animal from the Zoo in Berlin and to have their picture taken together with this animal in the Zoo. The celebrities accepted this invitation with great pleasure. The extraordinary fotos and statements reveal a facet of their personality and show how deeply they feel associated with Berlin and its Zoo. The fotos and the words in this book are an impressive documentation for the existence of the following: affectionate meetings and intensive relationships between "Großen Tieren in Berlin". 'A Feat of Engineering - Constructing the New Berlin Central Station' Over more than five years, Berlin photographer Roland Horn accompanied the structural work for the new Berlin central station with his camera. Horn was fascinated by the people who worked on these structures, and by the beauty of the construction materials... steel, wood and concrete. The best pictures of his photographic reportage in black and white are published in this book for the first time. 'Berliner Hauptbahnhof' Berlin photographer Roland Horn spent eight years recording the new Berlin Hauptbahnhof being built. The results are impressive photographs depicting the highly complex logistical and technical process that went into building Europe's biggest railway hub.