Schwerbelastungskörper
Mathilde Tijen Hansen
Amid empty sites, vacant lots, transition zones, and redensified urban spaces, the work Schwerbelastungskörper (in English: heavy load-bearing body) paints a varied picture of Berlin. The project explores the north-south axis, an urban planning project of the Nazis that was never realized, and the architectural monument of the same name in Berlin-Tempelhof, still standing today. They represent relics of a project whose impact is part and parcel of Berlin’s spatial structures.
Mathilde Tijen Hansen explores the traces that continue to shape the cityscape to this day. In black-and-white photographs of urban spaces and landscapes, as well as portraits of the people who inhabit and use these places today, the work connects historical inscriptions with contemporary realities.
Archival material documenting instances of demolition and displaced social structures complement the photographic observations, revealing the continuous cycle of change and reappropriation by various generations and communities within a diverse urban society.