Street Goods

The ongoing series “Street goods” describes a situation that can regularly be seen on German sidewalks. When bulky waste is collected, the owners have to place the items that they no longer need, that are no longer of any value to them, that are defective or no longer presentable, in front of the house in an orderly fashion according to the relevant specifications. More or less functional furniture, appliances, electrical items, household and garden items, old building materials, carpets, etc. are placed in front of the property. They stand there, lined up in a display. For one or two days, people allow a glimpse into their otherwise largely hidden private lives. Things that until recently were still in use are now visible to everyone and provide clues as to the stories behind the things that are ready for collection in this combination – children who are growing up and leaving their parents’ home, people who have passed away or moved into a retirement home, couples who are separating, inventory that has become useless and is disposed of by the new owner after buying a house… On the one hand, they are witnesses to life as a whole; on the other hand, they are also a sign of how we deal with resources, but they also allow insights into individual life situations and provide information about people’s way of life and order.