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Interview • 102 PH

Marie Kreibich

Miami, Florida

Please introduce yourself: What is your name, where are you from, what do you do?

My name is Marie Kreibich. I am a freelance photographer and designer from Cologne, Germany.

What is your relationship with photography, and how did you get into it?

My passion for photography started quite early when my dad bought me my first really basic point-and-shoot camera. At first, my family, friends and I were at the center of my motives. Over time, however, my feelings and things I cared about moved to the center of my photographic work. This also influenced my decision to study communication design with an emphasis on documentary photography. My relationship with photography expanded — it became more conceptual and topical. Today, my photographic projects mostly circle around spaces and places.

What do you think triggers you to photograph in a certain moment? Is it planned or solely driven by intuition?

For me it is very dificult to clearly separate a plan an intuition. I often start with a planned and well-researched concept, probably because I am a rather risk-averse person. However, once I am at a certain place and can fully embrace it, my intuition takes over. I let my feelings guide my photography and I completely forget about time.

What is the story you want your pictures to tell?

I would not neccessarily attach a defined story to each picture. I rather set a context for stories, which observers can then freely interpret and fill with their own ideas and connotations.

Which city would you like to visit the most, and why?

A few months ago, I would probably have named Russian cities, since I am regularly fascinated by brutalist architecture. Due to Russia's war on Ukraine, this is unfortunately off the table for an indefinite period of time. Next on the list would probably be Tokio — a clash between tradition and hyper-modernity.

What is your personal relationship to cities, and how do you perceive them as places in general?

To me, cities represent a dichotomy. On the one hand, cities make me feel tense. All the traffic, noise and crowds of people tend to stress me out. On the other hand, however, they are my most important source of inspiration. I love exploring them with my camera only, getting sucked into their distinct atmosphere and capturing life and architecture from my photographic point of view.

What is the driving force behind creation?

The driving forces behind creation is super individual. For me, there are several forces in play. It is a way to process experiences and feelings in life — whether good or bad. I am also motivated to show people my perspective of the beauty in the ordinary, which is regularly missed. Finally, the process of creating itself is simply inspiring and brings me great joy I rarely feel with other activities.

Which project did you never finish?

I am working on several projects which have not been finished for years and where I am uncertain whether they will ever be finished - which I do not consider bad at all.

What is that one thing you have never managed to photograph and is now gone for good?

In 1989, my parents fled from the German Democratic Republic (GDR/DDR) to Western Germany. In 2018, I relived their experience by travelling along their flight route together with my mother. My book project »Rübermachen« resulted from this journey. For a long time, I have been fascinated by the stories of my parents, documentaries and pictures about the GDR. Of course, I would have liked to see this country through the lens of my camera—but it's definitely gone.

If you could travel back/forth in time, what advice would you give your younger/older self?

To my younger self I would probably say: Trust your abilities and creativity.

What do you prefer saying: «to take a photograph» or to «make a photograph», and why?

I would say both. It depends on the work/project.

What is the most interesting experience you have had while photographing?

My project «Rübermachen», which I mentioned in question 9, was definitely one of the most defining experiences. It brought me very close to my parents' past and, hence, also to my own. Rediscovering and capturing places where my mother had the most intense experiences of her life, more than 30 years ago, was simply overwhelming.

If it wasn’t for photography, what would you be interested in doing instead?

I would probably stick to my fascination for spaces and places—maybe something in the field of interior design.

How would you describe one of your pictures to a blind person?

Capturing beauty in the ordinary expressed with muted colors, clean lines and clarity.

What are you currently working on, and—if there is—what is your next project or journey?

For a couple of years now, I have been working on an ongoing series about an island at the north sea coast of Germany called Wangerooge and its roughly 1300 inhabitants. My project «Vor der letzten Flut» [before the last flood] deals with life on the island in general and how it is simultaneously impacted by an increase in tourism and frequency of extreme weather events.

Thank you, Marie!

Editorial Notes:

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Photography: Marie Kreibich
Location: Miami, Florida, USA

Links: Website, Instagram