In my photographic work I deal with the conditions of human existence. The pictures are taken in different locations in and outside of Europe. Over a long period of time, I have focused on African societies, which are characterized by nomadic or seminomadic pastoralists. The series of pictures fit into different frames of observation. On the one hand, it is the view of the outsider, because I am visiting a society that is foreign to me. On the other hand, the superordinate frame plays a defining role: the portrait of a person or the architectural image itself. The pictures in the series shown here come from the countries of East and Central Africa, Sudan, South Sudan, Chad, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Cameroon, Libya and the Central African Republic.
I take the portraits in a concentrated process that takes an extended time, especially as I work together with the person portrayed in a dialogue for one picture. The picture isolates the person and places them at the center. The analogue large-format camera delivers an extremely detailed photo and creates an image space with a precise focal plane. At the moment the picture is taken, I am standing next to the camera mounted on a tripod and have eye contact with the subject. The purpose of the chosen process is to capture the psychological presence of the subject in the image.
The form of the encounter with the person from which the photographic situation develops is important. A companion who enjoys the trust of the person portrayed mediates the encounter. Both belong to the same society and speak the same language. The guide explains my request. I respect the fact that the sitter has given me a limited amount of time. They interrupt their daily work for the duration of our interaction.
I take photographs at the place where I meet the person portrayed. It is the place where they live or where they are working, for example in the field when the person portrayed is on a hike. The detail of the surroundings in the background gives an indication of the context in which the picture was taken. This can be the savannah landscape or a building.
I use natural daylight. All the portraits in the series were taken outdoors and at different times of day. I don't shy away from the high-contrast midday light. Deep shadows, which mean that the daylight does not fully illuminate the face, allow it to retain its mystery. There is often a strong wind blowing during the shoot. A heavy tripod stabilizes the camera. In the pictures, the clothes blowing in the wind are blurred.
In the pictures, the people portrayed are wearing the clothes and carrying the objects they are wearing at the moment we meet. It is the local fashion; clothing and equipment also depend on the situation and activity in which I met the person. The people in the portraits do not change their clothes, nor do they add any objects. This approach means that the portraits are created in the context of different, unposed everyday situations, which creates verisimilitude.
Looking at settlements from a distance has awakened my interest in vernacular architecture: Which buildings enable their inhabitants to lead a life far away from the urban infrastructure and in sometimes extreme climatic conditions? What the residential buildings and other structures such as stables have in common is that they are essentially made of materials that are available locally. The buildings are an expression of a traditionally efficient and at the same time a forward-looking way of life in dealing with resources: the renunciation of everything superfluous.
I took the architectural pictures in temporary settlements and villages of cattle herders. The series includes, for example, tents of the Afar, the Beya and the Somali as well as huts of the Toposa and the Lotuko. All pictures of inhabited buildings were taken in the company of the respective owner. I coordinate the location of the camera and the framing of the picture. I also use an analogue large-format camera for the architectural shots because of its precision.
The time of day is important for the shot. While staying in a settlement, I observe the daytime progression of the shadow at the entrance to a hut. High contrasts between sunlight and shadow at midday characterize the image of the Afar tent, for example.
One of the basic conditions of pastoral society is the ability to survive in an extreme climate zone through mobility and adaptation. The regions where I photograph are particularly affected by climate change and have been for a long time. In recent years, periods of heat and drought, heavy rainfall with flooding and shifts in the rainy season have intensified in many regions. Climate change determines people's behavior of movement. They leave dry or flooded areas temporarily or permanently. This is reflected in the series of images. It includes the dilapidated buildings of the Borana and the Toubou, for example. At the same time, peoples such as the Gabbra or the Rendille adapt the construction of their tents to the changed conditions. For example, they integrate plastic sheeting into their dwellings. The materials protect the inside of the tents from the ingress of wind, sand and water.
The vernacular architecture of Africa is a topic that was severely neglected during the colonial era. The European colonizers brought their own architectural language to Africa. The introduction of building materials such as concrete and iron influenced not only the physical structure of the buildings, but also the cultural identity of the peoples. The dominance of European architecture remained after the end of the colonial era.
As the way of life of the inhabitants changes, the traditional forms of their architecture are also being lost. If the buildings made of wooden sticks, grass or clay are not continually repaired and renewed, they will disappear.
As Césaire noted in 1955 in his Discourse on Colonialism, if we today construe Europe without Africa and do not embark on a policy of nationalities that respect peoples and cultures and and posits humanity as an identity beyond race, then Europe will not survive. Today this statement seems even more compelling than ever. „At the edges of power“ refers to the place of the people we see here in theses photographs, on a path between global conflicts fought locally. Here, however, we come up against the frame into which humanity has forces itself. It is by no means a hopeless undertaking to try and get people to come to an understanding with other people, and Winfried Bullinger’s oeuvre is destined to support people along the way.
Hubertus von Amelunxen
At first sight the various tribes seem to exhibit only relatively minor differences; sometimes there are ethnic characteristics, and sometimes the nature of the place where they live and work seems to determine their appearance. The Hadza are hunters and this can be seen in their clothing, into which leather, fur and feathers have been worked. The Nyangatom are very likely to carry a weapon, as are the Suri and the Afar. The real power of this portrait series, however, lies in the opportunity it provides to allow us (as globalists) to stand eye to eye with representatives of traditional, self-contained communities; small, rural economies that provide just the simplest of tools. These encounters allow us to traverse not just distance and culture but also time. […] The portraits offer no solutions to the geopolitical or resource-based conflicts in which these tribal people have become embroiled, but what they do show is their natural poise, their self-awareness, and the matter-of-factness with which they are connected to the landscape. This is due in part to the emphasis with which Bullinger silhouettes his subjects against the landscape, giving the work a strongly sculptural quality. But the most impressive attribute of these portraits is the self-awareness and natural ease (a certain reserve notwithstanding) that radiates from every one. Today, nomads stand both for an old world and a new one.
Els Barents