With “On the Edges of Paradise” the Geneva photographer Laurence Bonvin presents a beautifully designed volume with photographs from the “gated communities” of Istanbul. Two texts and a conversation deepen the theme and provide insight into Bonvin’s work and thinking.
Laurence Bonvin’s interest is primarily focused on social phenomena. In various works she has dealt with a world that contradicts the embellished image of official views. For “On the Edges of Paradise” Bonvin visited so-called “gated communities”, special urban planning cases in large cities such as Istanbul, while travelling in Turkey. The closed residential suburbs of the metropolis actually offer a lot for photography. Their seclusion makes them manageable, the repetitive forms of prefabricated single-family homes with their stereotypical gardens, garages and swimming pools lend them a superficial beauty that our gaze can hardly resist. Bonvin has taken a meticulous look at the artificial cities in the city and has collected numerous images of captivating quality.
The exclusively designed publication is supplemented by texts by Urs Stahel and Bülent Tanju, as well as a conversation between the artist and Daniel Baumann.