Alan Luft

Alan Luft (b.1960) is the great-grandson of German immigrants who settled in the rural township of Fredonia, Wisconsin, a region populated by German-Americans. His family farmed in this area for over 150 years. German was also spoken in the home, a linguistic practice that ended with the death of his paternal grandmother in 1979. Since 1985, Luft has been visiting Berlin to document the city and its inhabitants. He has created nearly 16,000 primarily medium format negatives during the course of the project. Luft photographs people in their homes, workplaces, and on the streets of Berlin. He meets his subjects from word-of-mouth connections but also likes to encounter individuals through chance by walking the city. »My work in Berlin has helped me to understand and redefine my own identity. What inspires me is the transformation of the city from its tragic past. In many ways the wild spirit and democratic visions of 1920s Weimar culture have come true. Berlin today is a diverse mix of people, and I think it represents what the future will look like elsewhere. History is about individuals adapting, changing, and moving from one place to another. My photographic project in Berlin documents that and offers a unique record of the city in the post-Wall period.«