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Background information
"In the end, it is above all the cathedral that makes Cologne's silhouette unmistakable. Anyone who has lived in this metropolis on the Rhine for any length of time knows that visual axes open up again and again, suddenly revealing a view of this great 'comforter' even in unexpected places, all too often between office blocks and expressways. Volker DÖHNE, a student in Bernd BECHER's legendary first class at the Düsseldorf Art Academy, made photographic forays through the city in 1996 and recorded his encounters with the cathedral. Today, the black-and-white views seem historical and present at the same time: some could still be created this way, others seem to be strangely enraptured memories of the 20th century. From this, the photographs draw their very own charm, even for non-citizens.Content
The photo book 'Köln am Dom' by Volker DÖHNE consists of almost full-page black-and-white photographs showing the inner city of Cologne, with the Cologne Cathedral or at least the spires more or less obscured in each picture. The city architecture seems to be a mere accessory in the face of the view to the cathedral. Nevertheless, these are also photographs that document the architectural state of Cologne in the year the photos were taken, 1996. And as in the photo volume 'BUNT. Colored 1970s', it is the ubiquitous cars that characterize the time and the city.The authors, Barbara Schock-Werner and Reinhard Matz, are not only attentive viewers of these photographic works, but also critical observers of what is happening in the city. In clever essays, they introduce us to Volker DÖHNE's photographs as well as to the image of the city of Cologne. They take a pointed stand on changes in architectural appearance and repeatedly find comfort in the 'excitingly soaring' spires of the cathedral." (slightly adapted and supplemented text, © Greven Verlag, © 2018)
Additional information
To accompany the trade edition of 'Köln am Dom' by Volker DÖHNE, a special edition with three signed and numbered prints (in the format 30 x 24 centimeters, larger than the book!) has also been published. The edition of this limited collector's edition is limited to 20 copies (+ 5 e.a.) and comes in a presentation box.