This project deals with vacancy and interim use through the lens of my personal housing experiences. I wanted to photograph front doors—the doors of the houses where I have lived. The first front door was open, and I continued to the apartment door and looked through the peephole.

Before my eyes were the furnishings of my childhood bedroom.

It turned out that the apartment has been vacant since my family was forced to move out. The next apartment had a similar story. The images captured during my visits to these places come together to form the project STILL STAND LEER STEHT STILL.

There are many vacant properties. In my environment, it is common to find places not primarily intended as residences and repurpose them into homes.

I have realized that this way of inhabiting a place leads one to be interested not only in the present history of a place. On one hand, you live in a space to which you must adapt, and on the other hand, you can be certain that it will look completely different when you move out. The only question is how much time will pass before this process begins.

I took a picture of a lamp.
I saw a picture of a lamp.
Why does it hurt?
Because it was a home.
And it could have been one thirteen years longer.

@gwenmeta

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, STILL STAND LEER STEHT STILL was presented as an installation at Social Design Raum, Schleifgasse 11 in 1210 Vienna.