The title Flächenland is a reference to the geographical term, alluding to the urban sprawl in rural areas that the majority of people in Saxony-Anhalt live in. Stephanie Kiwitt took these atmospherically dense photographs while travelling through the state: on walks, from her car, or from the train. They show glimpses of towns, villages, and landscapes, often put together as sequences that communicate a shift in perspective or convey movement or a sense of getting closer. Kiwitt’s images describe a living space that has been hugely influenced by economic and social processes and is in an ongoing process of transformation. The photos give visual expression to political statements and signs of continuous structural change.

In the booklet accompanying the images, Jonathan Everts and Daniel Herrmann use Kiwitt’s photographic work as a means to reflect on the present and future of urban agglomerations and rural areas in Saxony-Anhalt.

Stephanie Kiwitt is a photographer and Professor of Communication Design / Photography at Burg Giebichenstein University of Art and Design Halle. Jonathan Everts is Professor of Human Geography at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg. Daniel Herrmann is artistic director of the Werkleitz Centre for Media Art.