Since November 2023, I have been documenting the life of Regina, one of the last caretakers in a Viennese municipal building. Although she retired last year, Regina continues to live in the same apartment and remains a point of contact for the tenants in the building.
She is one of the last of her kind, as the black-blue government decided in July 2000 to abolish this central figure of the municipal buildings. It was believed that cleaning companies could provide these services more cheaply.
Fascinated by the colorful fictional example of Frau Koziber from the legendary TV series "Kaisermühlen Blues," it has been intriguing to view life in the municipal building through both my lens and Regina’s eyes.
Through the time I spent with Regina and Gerri in the living room and while smoking numerous cigarettes in the courtyard, I gradually discovered the subjects of the photos: the pet cemetery, the bird diary, or the bathtub decoration painted by Gerri. Over the course of Regina's stories, it became clear that there was no longer a boundary between Regina the caretaker and Regina in her private life, as she is equally “caring,” active, social, attentive, helpful, present, and open in both contexts. This is an important point, as in the end, I portrayed her as a person, not just as a caretaker.
Ultimately, I found a kind of new family and heard the best municipal building stories: stories of care, humanity, and community.
This series was created as part of the cooperative project "WIE WIR (NICHT) LEBEN" with Arbeiterkammer Vienna.
As part of the eponymous urban exhibition, which was on view from June 26 to September 1, 2024, at various locations across Vienna, REGINA was presented in and around the book store O*BOOKS in 1020 Vienna.
