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Dreaming – out of serie Russian Fairy Tales. 2016


“Cinematic, dream-like shots of Russia—none of them staged—speak to the cardinal importance of composition and the subtle art of “becoming part of the interior.”

German photographer Frank Herfort has spent over a decade photographing the insides of various public spaces throughout Russia—spaces that, incidentally, are lacking a public. An architectural photographer by trade, Herfort’s personal work pays homage to the old-fashioned, Stainlist decor that still consumes many Russian interiors. Yet Herfort’s work brings a modern twist, seemingly imported from the outside, that eradicates markers of time or context and persuades the viewer to create their own narrative.

Herfort’s previous body of work, “Imperial Pomp” , shows a different side to Russia—a hyper-modern terrain that boasts intimidating skyscrapers and a vanguard mentality. The booming, modern external world intensifies the unsettled feeling that comes over the viewer as we witness the apparent bewilderment—and isolation—of the people in “Russian Fairy Tales.” It appears that they are seeking refuge from the looming modernization within the comforting, antiquated remnants of the past.

The surrealist aesthetic denies journalistic fact, yet Herfort successfully captures a bemusement that is shared by members of Russia’s general public. What’s more, he conceptually demonstrates the psychological effects that environments have on their inhabitants.


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Elevator To Kirov – out of serie Russian Fairy Tales. 2017


“Cinematic, dream-like shots of Russia—none of them staged—speak to the cardinal importance of composition and the subtle art of “becoming part of the interior.”


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Imperial Pomp – Post Soviet High-Rise. 2013


Yearning for Past Grandeur
In documenting a unique phenomenon, the German photographer Frank Herfort has journeyed to the most remote areas of the former Soviet Union. After the collapse of the regime, a strangely pompous architectural style sprung up throughout the new republic. It conflates the aesthetics of monumental Soviet architecture with the Western language of form seen in the twentieth century.


Note: The text above was written by the Artist. No modification was made by C.O.C.A.


Frank Herfort


Russian Federation



Live your life, how you wish your life should be. I love images and even more, I love to create them. I love travelling and moving around more then sitting at one place. My journey and inspiration to photography started in Leipzig, where I was born before the fall of the Berlin Wall. During my childhood, I was not interested in taking photos at all, and I even hated it so much that I pulled out the film of my mother´s camera to expose all images and make them useless. But later on, I realised that it is a perfect way of expressing things which you cannot explain in words. It´s possible to create magic and miracles with this medium. So, finally, I bought my first own camera with help of my first earned money and started the same day. But I soon felt that I must move forward and so I decide


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