Der Palast

For Constanza Macra's production of The Palace (premiered in 2019 at the Volksbuhne Berlin), British photographer Tom Hunter created photographic tableaux at various Berlin locations, using Old Master paintings as models. The images depict residents threatened with eviction due to urban renewal. The photographs form the backdrop for Macra's play, which addresses themes of gentrification, urban migration, urban transformation, and renewal. The Palace addresses this situation by addressing the architecture of Berlin's central district and by exploring the history, present, and visions of the future of the city and its residents. In addition to Hunter's works, the book (in English) contains essays and interviews on architecture and urban development in contemporary Berlin (including those by Tom Hunter, Poligonal Buro fur Stadtvermittlung, and urban developer Thomas Bestgen), a text by cultural journalist and theater critic Natalia Laube, and statements by the photographed "victims of the housing crisis." Production photography by Thomas Aurin completes the volume.