Since the late 1980s, Japanese photographer Seiichi Furuya, who lives in Graz, has been creating a visual memory work titled Mémoires. In numerous artist’s books and exhibitions, Furuya combines portraits of his family with images of travels and places of residence, which he presents in a wide variety of changing constellations and contexts. To this day, Furuya’s work is characterized by a re-examination of the archive, which he constantly re-organizes and re-edits. In particular, Furuya’s images from East Berlin, where he lived from 1985 to 1987, are an extraordinary document marked by a vivid interplay between personal perspective and documentary distance, between the private and public. In a new digital projection, Furuya presents over 600 images in random order. These are city views of the centre and the new prefabricated housing estates, as well as images of parades and festivals – many of which were part of Berlin’s 750th anniversary celebrations. Empty streets, glimpses of a variety theatre, and street scenes with passers-by are interspersed with images of the Wall and photographed TV images. 35 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, Furuya’s images appear casual, but also precise and present.