Featuring Stefan Falke

With this long term project I document cultural activities in what used to be some of the worlds most dangerous cities along the US/Mexican border. Since 2008 I photographed 180 artists along the entire 2000 miles long divide to show the vibrant cultural side of a region that is usually portrayed by the international media with the sole focus on violent crime. The border has particular significance to me since I was born in Germany where a wall divided Berlin and my country until it came down in 1989. Meanwhile the steel ‘wall’ between the US and Mexico is growing in length and hight and does its part to create a physiological and physical barrier between the two countries. But it cannot not stop cultural exchange.

Artists are the pulse of a society and I believe if we ignore the cultural side of troubled places, we will soon stop caring about them all together. I photographed both internationally renowned as well as only locally known or even unknown artists. Each one has a positive influence on their community in one way or another, often by their highly visible creations like murals and sculptures in public places.