Architectural modernism is a recurring theme in Zara Pfeifer's visual and sociological research. In Berlin, she examines residential buildings constructed between 1968 and 1970, designed by Werner Düttmann, as well as those built during the 1987 International Building Exhibition by John Hejduk and Álvaro Siza Vieira. These buildings are located along a four-kilometer route in the former border district. Through her photography, Zara Pfeifer makes space and time visible. Her images reveal areas that are typically hidden from view in private settings, highlighting their design and signs of aging, while simultaneously reflecting the past spirit of optimism that characterized these new buildings—between architectural icons and social housing.

This work was created in response to an invitation to participate in a dialogue exhibition at the Austrian Cultural Forum Berlin in 2021: Zara Pfeifer photographs in the Kreuzberg district of Berlin, while Oliver Godow works in the first district of Vienna.

Installation view at Austrian Cultural Forum Berlin, 2021