Zwischenpulheim / Inter-Pulheim

Images of landscapes and people bring local life to the otherwise somewhat inhospitable railway station underpass. In 2002, artist Sigrid Lange photographed people on the walking path between Pulheim and Stommeln.

A walker on her own journey, she mostly photographed people from behind as they engaged in recreational activities in the surrounding countryside. The photos were then processed in such a way that one figure comes clearly into focus, while the rest of the image becomes foggy and distant.

In this way the artist is part of a long tradition: Portraying figures from behind and placing them in the foreground of a picture has been a popular means of providing viewers with a possible perspective and reference point since the Middle Ages.

The work presents a contemporary variation of this stylistic device. At the same time, it creates a sense of confusion, as the figure in these pictures does not offer any guidance for observation, but instead is the central figure itself.

The photographs extend along opposite walls like a continuous pictorial frieze. Black, reflective tiles have been mounted between them, so that anyone looking at the photographs can literally “reflect” on themselves in their role as viewers.