When I am out in the streets

Limited view

Parts of the skyline of Frankfurt. Viewed from the Osten, close to the ECB at the river Main.

Es grünt so grün

Spring in the Taunusanlage Frankfurt. Relax and surf.

Bankfurt

A prominent bank above the Taunusanlage. The park that used to be the city wall.

Up in the air...

...are these spot lights. 100 meters above the ground outside what looks like a huge metal barrel - or a grey coke tin can. It used to be Europe's largest gas store. Used in the steel and coal area where I grew up, the Ruhrgebiet when processing coal and making steel. These days the Oberhausen-based Gasometer is a famous and unique venue for exhibitions and art installations. Christo had already made two installations. This year there is one about mountains: Der Berg ruft! (The mountain is calling!). Before showing pictures from the rooftop and my home town, here are some of the exhibition ...

Berge sind überall - mountains are everywhere

,Around the world. The exhibition showed it well. The nature, the role mountains play in various cultures and religions (at times one mountain is used and deemed sacred by more than one religion). Also in Asia.

Es werde Licht

What did you think? No, it is on purpose. I liked when the auto focus had its difficulties. I found it so beautiful I manually adjusted my lease so I could take this shot. Yes, it was on purpose!

Steel

This is part of the gas tank construction: within the huge 100 meter-high tin can with a 5mm hull was a ceiling that floated on top of the gas that was a by-product of processing coal to coal bricks which burnt much better and were essential for steel making.The ceiling rested on this steel construction.

You ain't a beauty, but hey you're alright ...

...is what Bruce Springsteen sings about Mary, whose dress waves in Thunderroad. It could also apply to my home town. Also a famous German singer (Grönemeyer) sang about a neighboring city that she ain't a beauty. Correct. But it is where I am from.

Love is in the air

Actually, it might be waste. Yes, there is a difference. Not only that love should not be wasted. But yes, what looks like a plant highlighted by two rays of lights (which nobody saw but me and my photo editor) is a factory burning waste at very high temperature. To avoid landfills.

Big City Lights

OK, it is a 'relatively big' city. But every other year Frankfurt's luminale turns the city into an interesting stage for anything having to do with light. More than 100 art and urban development projects. Ranging from small and low cost to large scale installations. The Römer, the historic square in front of city hall where Emperors were coronated, featured Europe's largest light installation...

Römer

Europe's biggest light installation. On the square on which emperors were coronated in the past. In front the (rebuilt) traditional city hall was animated ....

Word Cloud

Nobody could avoid taking part in the installation on the Römer. Here a picture of part of the square and one of its other sides.

Zoom In the light

Experimenting a bit with the zoom while taking the picture leads you to such a result.

Das Runde muss ins Eckige

The round thing has to be inside the rectangular one. A famous expression to describe the essence of football/soccer. Here an installation in the church on the Römer, Frankfurt's square on which the emperors were coronated.

Turning in circles

Also part of the Luminale, an installation consisting of a map made out of sugar cubes, which was animated by projections of different events (e.g. the seismic impact of a nuclear bomb test).

South America - how sweet!

Again, the map of the world made out of sugar.

Alte Oper

In 2018 the “Old Opera” was integrated into the Luminale for the first time. Showing an animation of its history. From its colorful opening ...

On the eve of destruction

... to its destruction in the late days of the war. See the shadow of the plane carrying the bombs? Only much later, the people of Frankfurt launched an initiative and had the landmark rebuilt.

Crosshatch @ ECB

Another large scale light installation at the 2018 Luminale. The European Central Bank turned into a virtual Street Art gallery. The animation CrossHatch by Andreas Preis - of animals living in the European Union covered the whole 200 meters of the historic ground scraper that used to be the vegetable wholesale market of Frankfurt. Imagine: the so-called vegetable cathedral has a length of 2 football pitches!)