Lissabon '87/88

More about the book

In 1987 and 1988, photographers Ute Mahler and Werner Mahler, alongside author Wolfgang Kil, embarked on two trips to Lisbon to capture the city's essence for a book project with Leipzig Brockhaus. This opportunity allowed them a rare glimpse beyond the Iron Curtain, as they were already established figures in the GDR. However, the book, intended for release in 1989, never materialized, falling victim to the fate of many projects from that pre-Wall era. The photographs and contact sheets were relegated to gray boxes in a Brandenburg archive, only resurfacing in 2021. Reviewing these images revealed that Lisbon was their first collaborative endeavor, predating their conscious decision to co-author works. Despite this, the unique style they developed in later projects like Monalises of the Suburbs and Strange Days is evident. The Lisbon photographs are striking black-and-white street scenes, captured during leisurely walks through a city that was both unfamiliar and captivating to the East Berlin travelers. Nearly three decades later, these images offer fresh historical insights. This small book is meticulously designed by Florian Lamm.