As early as the 1980s, photographer Sven Marquardt directed his attention to the diversity of East Berlin’s creative scene; his evocative black-and-white photographs created points of contact and visibility between the different subcultures. For almost 10 years, he has been portraying people from different cultural and social milieus around the world, most recently during a residency in New York City. There, Marquardt photographed residents on the streets of Harlem and Manhattan and became part of their stories, experiences, adventures and emotions. 

Detached from borders, Marquardt’s portraits speak a language of touch and shared identity. Following the period of collective isolation, his journey and project made it possible for him to overcome geographical and emotional barriers in one of the world’s most important art hubs.