Doner in the East

In 1994 I moved to Weißensee, a former Eastern part of town. Turkish classmates, business- or doner stand owners had been familiar faces all the years before. But at this time there were no Turkish people in Weißensee at all.

In 1993 I came to Berlin from West-Germany and in 1994 I moved into an apartment nearby Langhansstraße in Weißensee, a former Eastern part of town. Turkish classmates, business-, kiosk-, or doner stand owners had been familiar faces before, people I was used to be in touch with on a daily basis. I didn‘t even realize that I hadn’t been in contact with Turkish people when I first moved to Weißensee.
Then a doner stand opened in my neighborhood. Due to my “dehabituation” I suddenly found myself part of the curious awkwardness that accompanied the first encounter of Turkish Doner-stand owners and former GDR-citizens. For a short moment I too saw something very exotic-oriental as well as foreign in Turkish people.

Text from the lightbox. There is also map of Weißensee with marks for the location of every Doner-stand from 1991-2009. The chart show the number of stands during these years. With kind support of the Bürgeramt Weißensee.

Doner in the East, 2009, light box, aluminium, backlight foil, 110 x 40 x 15 cm each

Doner in the East, 2009, light box, aluminium, backlight foil, 110 x 40 x 15 cm, installation view, City Museum Skopje, Macedonia