See more ideas about city, photography and tower of babel. Opened in 1976, ponte city is an iconic building in johannesburgs skyline that has come to represent the best and the worst of city life. Ponte city catalogue mikhael subotzky and patrick waterhouse. Review of mikhael subotzky and patrick waterhouses ponte city. Subotzky and waterhouse have taken as their subject the controversial 54story apartment building in johannesburg known as ponte city.
Eugene smith grant, oskar barnack award and the discovery award at rencontres darles. This unavoidable 54storey apartment building on the berea ridge has become an icon of the city it towers over. Mikhael subotzky and patrick waterhouse, ponte city. The final chapter of mikhael subotzky and patrick waterhouse. They photographed the residents and documented the buildingevery door, the view from every window, the image on every television screen. It literally towers, given it resembles a wide, inhabitable smokestack. Ponte city building is an iconic structure in johannesburgs skyline that has long been a symbol for the city itself. Mikhael subotzky and patrick waterhouse worked at ponte city, the iconic johannesburg. Subotzky adopts the directness of the social documentary mode while questioning the photographic medium itself. Published in april 2014 to coincide with the exhibition ponte city, this book is the result of 5 years of documentary work by mikhael subotzky and patrick waterhouse.
With an introduction by leading south african writer jonny steinberg and subotzky s own commentary, the book is both a document of social evidence and the. Everybodys got a ponte story, says photographer mikhael subotzky. Windows, doors, televisions three lightboxes in collaboration with patrick waterhouse windows, doors, televisions details working book dummy. Imaginary cities author darran anderson on mikhael subotzky and british artist patrick waterhouse s collaborative project ponte city. Mikhael subotzky born cape town, south africa, 1981 is a south african artist based in johannesburg. With powerful individual vision, magnum photographers chronicle the world and interpret its peoples, events, issues and personalities. Mikhael subotzky and patrick waterhouse, ponte city collector daily. In 2008, south african photographer mikhael subotzky moved into a showroom apartment called future slick. And despite its tumultuous history, ponte city remains populated a place that thousands have passed through, usually staying three years at most. When photographers mikhael subotzky and patrick waterhouse began a documentary project in ponte city in 2007, the building was on the edge of another renaissance.
Artists mikhael subotzky and patrick waterhouse have spent over six years photographing ponte city, johannesburgs iconic 54storey apartment building. The residential tower was first envisioned in the 1970s, at the height of apartheid confidence and white johannesburgs economic boom. They photographed the residents and documented the building every door, the view from every window, the image on every television screen. Beaufort west chris boot, 2008 was subotzky s first monograph and the series was included in the exhibition new photography 2008. Mikhael subotzky and patrick waterhouse worked at ponte city, the iconic johannesburg apartment building which is africas tallest residential skyscraper, for more than six years. Mar, 2015 artists mikhael subotzky and patrick waterhouse have spent over six years photographing ponte city, johannesburgs iconic 54storey apartment building. He has published the books beaufort west, retinal shift and, with patrick. One feature of urban modernity has been that frequently we live our lives in surroundings that defy the human sense of scale. Mikhael subotzky was born in 1981 in cape town and is currently based in johannesburg. Ponte city by mikhael subotzky and patrick waterhouse.
Magnum photographer mikhael subotzky s first book, about society, crime and punishment in south africa, focuses on the small karoo town of beaufort west and considers the town, its prison, its vivid characters and poignant social landscapes. Imaginary cities author darran anderson on mikhael subotzky and british artist patrick waterhouses collaborative project ponte city. This month, steidl published the project as a book, and an accompanying exhibition runs at le bal in paris until april 20th, 2014. Ponte city photobook mikhael subotzky patrick waterhouse. Aug 10, 2015 juxtapoz was lucky enough to visit the ponte city construction site in johannesburg, south africa with magnum photographer mikhael subotzky back in 2008 as he began what would become this book collectionscratch that, this is so much more than a book. A multipart book about a 54story residential building in johannesburg that mikhael subotzky describes as, a huge blinking advertising crown visible from soweto in the south to sandton in the north. Ponte city by mikhael subotzky and patrick waterhouse ponte tower fnb joburg art fair sandton convention centre, johannesburg, south africa 23 aug 2014. Aug 22, 2014 everybodys got a ponte story, says photographer mikhael subotzky. This book was shortlisted for a 2014 paris photoaperture foundation photobook award. Ponte city was, once, a tower of dreams a specific, apartheidera dream. From the ponte city project, a book about the tallest residential skyscraper in africa. Mikhael subotzky back in 2008 as he began what would become this book.
Subotzky s beaufort west, a recent body of work exploring the cultural landscape of south africas wes. Magnum photos is a photographic cooperative of great diversity and distinction owned by its photographer members. The building is cast as the central character in a myriad of interweaving narratives that, through photographs, commissioned texts, historical documents, and urban myths, chart the convoluted histories of both the. Ponte city with patrick waterhouse installation photographs lightboxes projections. Built in 1976, ponte city housed young professional types before falling on hard times in 90s, as those people fled to the suburbs. Here, the photographer mikhael subotzky shares a few of his essentials.
Ponte city mikhael subotzky, patrick waterhouse steidl verlag. Ponte city is a collaborative project between mikhael subotzky and british artist patrick waterhouse focusing on a single 54story building that dominates the johannesburg skyline. Mikhael subotzky is a south african artist based in johannesburg. His awardwinning ponte city project coauthored with patrick waterhouse. Sep 18, 2014 opened in 1976, ponte city is an iconic building in johannesburgs skyline that has come to represent the best and the worst of city life. Julia cloete the insider is a recurring profile of tastemakers in the fields of fashion, design, food, travel and the arts. Windows, doors, televisions three lightboxes windows, doors, televisions details working book dummy ponte city text. The 55story building is cylindrical, with an open centre allowing additional light into the apartments. Dont miss my updates and news on photobooks register for free or follow my updates on the virtual bookshelf. Mikhael subotzkys works are the results of his fractured attempts to place himself in relation to the social, historical, and political narratives that surround him both at home in south africa and on his frequent travels.
Mikhael subotzky and patrick waterhouses ponte city will be familiar to many. Their book thumps down on your desk like a weighty treasure chest, and when. Ponte city, a photographic book by south african photographer mikhael subotzky and british artist patrick waterhouse, has won the deutsche borse photography prize for 2015. A multipart book about a 54story residential building in johannesburg that. The photographic project began in 2008 and won the discovery award at the rencontres darles festival in 2011. Ponte city mikhael subotzky and patrick waterhouse.
Liberation through photography, barbican centre, london february 20 may 17, 2020. This is ponte city catalogue mikhael subotzky and patrick waterhouse steidl bal books by le bal on vimeo, the home for high. Ponte city mikhael subotzky, patrick waterhouse steidl. South african photographer mikhael subotzky and british. Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and check out our resources for adapting to these times. Ponte city book introduction ivan vladislavic ponte city dominates the johannesburg skyline. Mikhael subotzky and patrick waterhouse worked at ponte city, the iconic johannesburg apartment building which is africas tallest residential skyscraper. Ponte city there is something gratuitous about ponte city, the book, that mirrors ponte city, the apartment building that towers over johannesburg. Ponte city is a skyscraper in the berea neighbourhood of johannesburg, south africa, just next to hillbrow. A towering 1970s era modernist tube that dominates the surrounding skyline, it was and still is the tallest residential structure in africa, a kind of selfcontained city built on the berea ridge.
Mikhael subotzky and patrick waterhouse worked at ponte city, the iconic johannesburg apartment. Mikhael subotzky photographer profile magnum photos. Amidst the towers 54 stories, the builders promised purposebuilt bachelor pads. His installation, film, video and photographic work have been exhibited widely in museums and galleries, and received awards including the klm paul huf award, w. Opened in 1976, ponte has come to represent the best and the worst of johannesburg, and has generated a particular mythology of city life. Lisa and pretty, ponte city, johannesburg, 2008 mikhael subotzky and patrick waterhouse our friends friends of the galleries get free unlimited entry to all exhibitions, and enjoy a wide range of exclusive benefits including early exhibition access, special events and 10% discount in our cafes. For the first time this touring exhibition brings together all of the strands of subotzky and waterhouses project largescale photographic prints, typologies, texts, and an archive of found documents.
Juxtapoz was lucky enough to visit the ponte city construction site in johannesburg, south africa with magnum photographer mikhael subotzky back in 2008 as he began what would become this book collectionscratch that, this is so much more than a book. Ponte city by subotzky and waterhouse the scotsman. In the essays, some of south africas leading scholars and writers explore ponte citys unique place in. Meet the characters of an iconic and controversial south. Published by steidl in 2014, the book is accompanied by booklets of commissioned essays and historical background to the iconic 54floor apartment block in downtown johannesburg. Mikhael subotsky documents the chequered history of ponte city, a 54storey apartment block which dominated the johannesburg skyline. Oct 30, 2014 subotzky and waterhouse have taken as their subject the controversial 54story apartment building in johannesburg known as ponte city. Photography residency and exhibition, the high museum of art, atlanta. Published by steidl in 2014, the book is accompanied by booklets of commissioned essays and historical background to the iconic 54floor apartment block in downtown. Josephine meckseper and mikhael subotzky at the museum of modern art new york, 2008. Over the past eight years, his work has focused on the inside and outside of south africas notorious prisons, the small town of beaufort west, and ponte city, a single iconic building in. Ponte city mikhael subotzky and patrick waterhouse magnum. Many of these can be found in ponte city, his book collaboration with british artist patrick waterhouse, which weaves. May 26, 2012 ponte city by mikhael subotzky, a young cape town photographer who works on the precipice between fine art and photojournalism.