Am

Andreas Herzaus' new photo book has a dual focus: a woman in power and the relationship between politics and the public. It serves as both a monograph about an individual and a commentary on a political mechanism that threatens to render its actors interchangeable. A key emphasis of the book is on the election campaign—those three to four months during which two spheres that usually operate largely separately, politics and the public, become intertwined. While there is typically distance in this relationship, the election campaign temporarily necessitates closeness and accessibility to the populace. Direct contact is unfamiliar for both groups, often provoking projections from voters and manipulative strategies from politicians. Angela Merkel occupies a special position in this context. Unlike her male counterparts, she seems to approach public appearances differently.