Kazan In February [Russia 2020]

• Photographer
  Arthur Bauer

Born in the Soviet Union and raised in Germany, I decided to explore my Russian roots through a photographic journey in Kazan. A city full of contrasts and possibilities, where Russian culture, Tatar tradition and modernity coexist peacefully. The conscious and unconscious choice of motifs which resonate with me is a search for traces of my cultural identity. On an emotional level, Kazan feels like a hybrid between my childhood in Kazakhstan, my life in Europa and my Russian roots. It is a field of tension between irritation and closeness, between discomfort and warmth.

Arthur Bauer, born in Kazakhstan in 1983, immigrated to Germany in 1991. After studying political science, sociology, and psychology at the University of Mannheim, he has been working in the field of photography and film. As a social scientist, he is interested in how context affects people and how people shape their environment. Photography encapsulates this relationship, providing a glimpse into the world of thoughts and emotions. For him, photographs are like frames from a cinematic scene that inevitably make you wonder what just happened or what will happen next.