Glass Strenci by Anna Volkova. Published by Orbita.
Photobooks centered on archives have become an established part of the world of photography. Where they’re good, they tend to be enjoyable, even though often, they end up being little more than a one-line joke. Very rarely do they manage to reach the quality and delight offered by Glass Strenci, which features photographs made in a little town in Latvia. Deftly edited by Anna Volkova, the viewer enters what appears to be a very strange world filled with wonder, where the next occurrence of something crazy always is just around the corner (or on the main page).
No serious artist would have been able to come up with any of the pictures. I’m not sure I would want to live in a place such as the one depicted in Glass Strenci, but for sure I want to look at it.
Honorable Mention:
Self-Portraits by Yurie Nagashima
Jörg Colberg is a writer, photographer, and educator, currently based in Northampton (MA, USA).
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