Seasons of postchristmas: The great tree hunt

Discarded Christmas trees in Wandsbek, Hamburg. Beginning of January 2023.

Along with the new year, more and more Christmas trees are appearing on the streets of Hamburg. At first they make their entrance alone, being dropped here and there, but soon they form assemblies or piles on the sidewalk near street corners and intersections, huddling together as if to find strength in numbers to avoid the unavoidable pickup by the waste collection crew.

There is an ebb and flow to this seasons of postchristmas: The city’s cleansing department arranges to pick up the trees on two scheduled dates after the usual end of christian Christmas festivities on the 6th of January. Even before this, the first lone trees can already be seen as early as New Years Day, as if eager to get out of the houses and appartments. Their numbers peak around the appointed collection dates, after which the trees all but disappear from the streets. The best trees, however, appear later, sometimes much later.

Unable to rely on strength in numbers, and slyly displaying their former owner’s trangsgressive behaviour of missing the scheduled dates for pickup, these rare specimen of bone dry latecomers can appear as far removed from Christmas as Easter, contrasting with a surrounding changed by the coming of spring and the distance from the holiday season. These are the prized, clearest expressions of postchristmas, which require persistence and sheer luck to find.

Postchristmas season has just begun.

Corona vs. Kultur in Hamburg

Lately I have been experimenting with rephotography, the precise reproduction of an earlier photo’s perspective to illustrate the effects of passing time. Often, historical photographs are used as the basic material, but of course you can use any photos, even your own.

Shown here are photos of the Morris column advertising “Kultur in Hamburg” in Moorweidenstraße, one taken during the first winter of Corona in early 2021, the other taken in late summer of 2022. They illustrate the effect that the pandemic had on cultural activities in the city.

Alle Jahre wieder

Poster © Tim Reuscher 2022.

Postchristmas again: Mit der Vorweihnachtszeit näherte sich wie immer bereits viel zu früh die Jahresspitze im Weihnachtsbaumverbrauch. Einen kleinen Ausblick auf die Zeit danach (der Vorjahre), und hoffentlich ein kleines Augenzwinkern bot meine Fotoausstellung postchristmas again, die zwischen dem 03.12.2022 und dem 12.01.2023 bei Tim Reuscher im nachladen gezeigt wurde.

15 Fotos von Weihnachtsbäumen nach dem Fest (Riso-Drucke) und 4 Texte von meinem Bruder Frank wurden in der Ausstellung gezeigt, und sind in Form einer kleinen Zine-Akte dokumentiert, die im nachladen verkauft wird.

Postchristmas again — wieder auf der Sternschanze.
Das diesjährige Epizentrum.
Frisch aus China.
Ansicht 1.
Ansicht 2.
Ansicht 3.
Ansicht 4.

Postchristmas again war die zweite Ausstellung zu diesem Thema, die erste fand im Dezember 2019 statt.

Return to Gogo Camera

Gogo Camera Trading Company. Hakata, June 2022.
Gogo Camera Trading Company. Hakata, February 2017.

After more than five years, this June I had the opportunity to drop by Hakata’s legendary (founded 77 years ago!) Gogo Camera Trading Company once more. Aside from having a little chat with Mr. Gogo and buying a NIKKOR-H Auto 1:3.5 f=28mm (1972), of course I also took the opportunity to take a photo of the place again.

Hammer and Pickle — Dill with it V

Poster © Tim Reuscher.

Nachdem ich die letzte Gruppenausstellung von Gurkenkunst (Oktober 2020) verpasst hatte, war ich dieses Mal wieder dabei:

Vom 03.09.–30.09.2022 zeigte Tim Reuscher im nachladen in der Sternstraße 17 die Gurkenkust junger lokaler und auswärtiger Kunstschaffender. Eröffnung war am Samstag, 03.09., 14:00h–19:00h.

Immer für eine Überraschung gut, es lohnte sich reinzuschauen.

Tim mit Tee
Ansicht I
Ansicht II
Strafplanet Erde : Epiphanie I
Strafplanet Erde : Epiphanie II
Anna Ley : Samen Fetzer
Yolanda Kleine : Inflation
Hugo Espacio : New Technologies in Pickle Manufacture (A4, Tusche auf 200g/m² Papier)
Hanni-Isabell Barfuss, Elisabeth K feat. Holi Buddywood : Karfreitag
Biljana Tomic : Lucky Gurki Tarot Card
Bernd Spyra : Gurkomotive
Schwall : Palimpsest II
Sternstunden des Kapitalismus : Kappa – unlimited edition & Kappa – limited edition (Siebdruck auf biobaumwollenem T-Shirt + Minizine)
Dada Reinhardt : Das Wunder der Gurkbad Caverns
Dada Reinhardt : Das einsame und abgefuckte Leben im
illegalen Gurkenabbau
Dada Reinhardt : Väterchen Gurkenkopf
Zechnik Himmelfaart : La Gurk et sa troupe
Eiko : ohne Titel
Matter Messer : Dirt McGurk
Mia Löb : Gurkenkunst und Gurkenkünstler
Zines von Mia Löb und Matter Messer
Laura Martin : All the Pickles for 1 Woman
Objekte und Zines
Anja : Gurkeln I & Gurkeln II
Intelligenzbolzen : Dillo
Cooperfrau Melissengeist : Gurkengeist
Anna Fight : Tamponichons