TROUBLED SURFACE / SURFACE TROUBLÉE
GABRIEL GOLLER, KARIN JOBST
DELPHI_space, Fribourg-en-Brisgau (DE)
7 septembre - 13 octobre
vendredi et samedi : 17h-20h, dimanche : 15h - 18h
Commissaire/curator : Hanna Weber
Assistante commissaire/ Curatorial assistant : Katharina Grün
"oooh yes! Premium Water" is the inscription on the water bags, hand-sized plastic pouches containing fresh water, which are sold on every street corner in Lagos, Nigeria's capital, before being thrown away. Unlike the slightly heavier plastic bottles, they are scattered by the wind in every corner of the city because of their lightness, the artificially manufactured material blending into the built and natural environment. This is how we come across water bags in a large proportion of Gabriel Goller's shots, whether in a photograph of a riverbed lined with garbage, between the stalls of a ground-level market or in the hands of a truck driver drinking. The series, which was produced over a period of one year, focuses on Lagos as a place of hectic activity and cultural diversity. Amidst the urban chaos, Goller seeks out moments of calm and tranquillity, capturing his surroundings in such a way as to minimize the distance between photographer and photographed subject. The shots, rich in color and detail, allow the public to immerse themselves in the reality of life in Africa's largest metropolis. In an environment marked by harshness and disorder, small moments of beauty and hope appear, which Goller sometimes contrasts with sadder scenes.
