Rituals of Election Campaign 1986-2009

Wahlkampfrituale
(part of the cycle Power and Ritual)

The election campaigns for the Bundestag are an ideal occasion to explore strategies of production and self-production across all political parties. It is a work about the endeavour of shading light on the precisely calculated gestures of the actors of these public orchestration, their success in radiate aspects of power and its fascination. These photographs expose politics as theatre.

These are pictures of Willy Brandt, Helmut Schmidt, Helmut Kohl, Gerhard Schröder, CDU Fans 1998 WahlkampfritualeAngela Merkel and the challengers Rudolf Scharping, Oskar Lafontaine, Johannes Rau and Edmund Stoiber. In this context, media scientist Norbert Bolz once referred to the "great quit picture" as a refuge of serenity and concentration in the unending stream of visual data. The classic photograph, in other words, has strength in its weakness. It allows contemplation. An in-depth visual analysis. While television provides distraction with movement, noises and music, and information is degraded to a pastime,conventional photography invites discoveries, which means - in the actual sense of the word - not more and not less that a curtain is lifted and significant content becomes visible and recognizable.

Download and Vintages

election campaigns ritual Helmut Kohl 1990 CDUplatzhalterHelmut Kohl CDU 1998 election campaigns ritualelection campaigns ritual waehler masseelection campaigns ritual Willy Brandt SPD 1986Oskar Lafontaine 1998 election campaigns ritualGerhard Schröder SPD 1998 election campaigns ritualBodyguards election campaigns ritualGerhard Schröder SPD election campaigns ritual 1998platzhalterVerlierer Johannes Rau 1987 election campaigns ritualHelmut Kohl, Waigel, Schäuble election campaigns ritualplatzhalterHelmut Schmidt SPD 1994 election campaigns ritualTänzer CDU 1998 election campaigns ritualHelmut Schmidt Johannes Rau 1994 election campaigns ritualNorbert Blüm 1998 CDU election campaigns ritualJoschka Fischer election campaigns ritualEdmund Stoiber CSU 2002 election campaigns ritualOskar Lafontaine SPD 1998 election campaigns ritualRudolf Scharping election campaigns ritual 1994 SPDEdmund Stoiber CSU 2002 election campaigns ritualGregor Gysi election campaigns ritual PDS 1998Angela Merkel CDU 2005 election campaigns ritualAngela Merkel CDU 1994 election campaigns ritualSPD election campaigns ritual 1998 WahlkampfritualeGerhard Schröder SPD 2005 election campaigns ritualGregor Gysi Die Linke 2005 election campaigns ritualplatzhalterGuido Westerwelle FDP 2005 election campaigns ritualHelmut Kohl CDU 2005 election campaigns ritualplatzhalterFranz Müntefering SPD 2005 election campaigns ritualFrank Walter Steinmeier SPD 2009 election campaigns ritualAngela Merkel CDU 2009 election campaigns ritualFrank Walter Steinmeier SPD 2009 election campaigns ritualJürgen Trittin Die Grünen 2009 election campaigns ritualGuido Westerwelle FDP2009 election campaigns ritualAngela Merkel CDU 2009 election campaigns ritualFranz Müntefering SPD 2009 election campaigns ritualAngela Merkel CDU 2009 election campaigns ritual

"The lights go off, a gleaming spot shortly swings above the audience then across the crowd illuminating a passage. At the entrance and on the two screens Helmut Kohl steps out of the flashes. The mountain chapel "Bergparade" does not intone Wagner's ride of the valkyries but dynamic swing.
Having climbed the Olymp, Kohl straightens up in front of the desk. Having become a monument on the fundament of his own achievements, in straight pose with immobile mimics, he takes in the ovation that don't seem to end."



see also the publications:
Choreography of Power in Leicaworld 1/2000, Project Talk about Zyklus "Macht und Ritual" in The Sonic Blog.

Oskar Lafontaine Die Linke 2009 election campaigns ritual

next Economic summits
back Kölner Heil - Cologne Salvation

Franz Josef Strauss CSU 1987 election campaigns ritual

Helmut Kohl CDU, 1990 / 1998 / 2005.
Willy Brandt SPD, 1986.
Oskar Lafontaine SPD, 1998..
Gerhard Schröder, SPD, 1998.
Johannes Rau, SPD, 1987.
Helmut Schmidt, SPD, 1994.
Norbert Blüm, CDU, 1998.
Joschka Fischer, Die Grünen, 1998.
Edmund Stoiber, CSU, 2002.
Rudolf Scharping, SPD, 1994.
Gregor Gysi, PDS, 1998.
Angela Merkel, CDU, 2005 / 1994 / 2009.
Gerhard Schröder, SPD, 2005.
Gregor Gysi, Die Linke, 2005.
Guido Westerwelle, FDP, 2005 / 2009.
Franz Müntefering, SPD, 2005 / 2009.
Frank Walter Steinmeier, SPD, 2009.
Jürgen Trittin, Die Grünen, 2009.
Franz Josef Strauss, CSU, 1987.
Oskar Lafontaine, Die Linke, 2009.