Leben und tod

Leben und Todis the latest collaboration between these two seminal photographers and is the culmination of their joint exhibition at AM Art Space, Tokyo in 2019. This intensely personal project focuses on Teller’s Leben und Tod(Life and Death) series, in which the artist reflects on the deaths of his uncle and father-in-law Artur. He juxtaposes photographs of his mother and his home in Bubenreuth, Bavaria, with images that symbolize fertility and life. Also included are images from Teller’s vacation in Bhutan with his partner Dovile Drizyte.

Inspired by this series, Araki asked Teller to photograph “childhood memory objects,” objects with special emotional significance to him and his parents. Teller enthusiastically collected these personal gems, which included toys, a porcelain figurine, and bridges made in the family’s violin shop. Araki’s resulting images are both haunting and playful, creating an intriguing narrative alongside the original story.