The idea: ten students from the Faculty of Design at the University of Applied Sciences Würzburg-Schweinfurt (FHWS) photographed the culturally important buildings in Würzburg and its ten partner cities under the motto "Long-distance relationships". To this end, the students traveled around the world and photographed according to the specifications. The result was an exhibition and a catalog. Both will be presented on the occasion of Würzburg's 40th anniversary as a European city.



The buildings were photographed on the basis of a photographic concept for comparative architecture developed by Prof. Leistner from the Faculty of Design: Always photographed frontally from the center of the room with the same point of view, the cultural buildings have become comparable across thousands of kilometers.



"At a time when separatist movements are becoming increasingly popular in many countries or it is considered unthinkable to be against international bodies, the Faculty of Design at FHWS wanted to set an example for the values of international cooperation and international understanding," says Prof. Dieter Leistner, explaining the motivation behind the unusual photo project.



The photographs vividly present the buildings and their interiors, the structure, their layout and design, the typology, the color and design as well as the architectural style - the large-format exhibition enlargements represent rooms that can be walked through with the eyes. This intercultural comparative presentation of cultural buildings has never taken place in this form before and provides insights into the cultural identity of the twin cities. The significance of culture in society, its importance and its presence in the public sphere is represented in particular by the buildings created for it.



Opening of the exhibition:

May 04, 7:30 p.m., Seminar Building 0 of the FHWS

May 06 to June 15, 2013 (Mon - Fri, 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.)



Information about the catalog: Long-distance relationships, 192 pages, 22×28 cm, German/English, numerous illustrations, 5-color, softcover, thread stitching, Swiss brochure, ISBN 978-3-8260-5170-8

for further questions: dieterleistner@aol.com