Berlin, 1966-70

Meer over het boek

Fifty years after 1968, Arwed Messmer explores the student protests through the lens of the Berlin police. For a decade, he has utilized photographic documents from public archives as the foundation of his artistic endeavors. In the Police Historical Collection in Berlin, he researched images captured by the police during their routine documentation of the 1960s student unrest. These previously unpublished photographs offer an alternative perspective on the historical events, contrasting sharply with the press images that continue to shape our visual memory. Messmer digitized over 1,000 black-and-white negatives, presenting them in a film-like, sequential narrative structure that blurs the lines between photography and film. This innovative approach invites viewers to reconsider the visual history of the protests and the role of law enforcement during this tumultuous period. By highlighting these lesser-seen images, Messmer challenges the dominant narratives and encourages a deeper understanding of the complexities surrounding the protests and their impact on society.