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Background information, personal statement by the photographer
"It was July 1978: we - my parents, my two siblings and I - were on our way to Spain for a summer vacation in our new car. A great adventure for me as a three-year-old boy! One of the many stops on the two-day journey was a highway service station. Unobserved by the others, I ran straight from the picnic area. My thirst for adventure had won out. I was about to conquer the world on my own - and the starting point was the parking lot. I would probably still be there today if my very worried mother hadn't found me and hugged me tightly with relief when she caught up with me. Whenever I stop at a highway service station nowadays, this experience from my childhood comes to mind: the carefree desire of the little boy to explore the world. But now also from the father's point of view: the parents' concern about their children's carelessness in the face of danger. My children have been conquering the world for eleven years now. They show me the special lightness that is only inherent in being a child. It is an unconditional life in the here and now: absolute devotion and joy in the moment, but also being trapped in seemingly hopeless despair. It is both a blessing and a curse not to know yet that everything is temporary. With camera in hand, I am not only the father of my children, but also their silent observer in the background. I also experience their being, their actions in the here and now as a photographer and document moments, experiences, curiosities and developments. I'm not interested in staging or posing the children, but in taking pictures of real life, of our everyday life at home, at play, after school, doing sport or shopping. My sons are early risers. Their nights usually end between six and seven in the morning. When they wake up, they are both wide awake and full of enthusiasm, ready to get going. With their strong imaginations, they conquer the world in seconds every morning. 'The world ain't enough'! Their childlike hunger for conquest inspired me to write the title of this book. I am grateful that I have the opportunity to experience and document our family life as a father and as a photographer. The book represents the first ten years. Time is racing. In the meantime, the first weird notes of puberty are creeping in. The conquest of the world continues." (Oliver RASCHKA, 2020)