Tor Seidel

With the discovery of oil reserves in the 1950s, Dubai underwent rapid transformation. The population increased by 300 percent in a short period. Following the tallest skyscraper of the desert metropolis came numerous amusement parks, 200 artificial islands, tourism, and consumerism. New Dubai emerged without historical traces, designed centers, or meaningful streets for strolling. Tor Seidel (born in 1964 in Rosswein) approaches the fragmented urban space from a distanced perspective that does not fall for the illusion of the facades but points to the abysses in between. In his photographs, gigantic shopping malls flatten against the backdrop of the bleakness of abandoned megaprojects. The artist leaves us uncertain whether his images are digitally manipulated or representations of reality. Thus, The Dubai becomes an allegory of the space between promise and reality.