Kecskeméti observes what happens within urban spaces, blocks of flats, the crossroads between the public and the private. To her, buildings have thoughts and a life of their own. While the facade is visible to everyone, it’s the yards, gates, stairwells and communal balconies that give a sense that buildings are living, thinking beings. Every surface is a manifestation of time, the wear and tear and the layered nature of life. Every door and window provides the chance to witness human hopes and utopias. What is a good life? How and where can it be lived?

Kecskeméti’s photos feature Helsinki and Budapest, as well as Athens, Tel Aviv, New York and Marseille. She doesn’t have a camera, and she prefers to take photos with a phone.

”I only began to take photos when I gave up my camera. I like to bike, walk, sneak into stairwells and peek into courtyards. I take photos of the city and its buildings, the life within spaces. My revelations must come quickly, before the traffic light changes, the lift arrives, or the crow has flown off the roof opposite.”

Shop: Marika Kecskeméti’s Work

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