Gitta Seiler

We know from very old documents that, as early as two and a half millennia ago, Chinese rulers had melodies from all corners of the empire played for them, so that they might understand what was going on in the hearts of their subjects. These melodies are now heard through headphones and loudspeakers, as well as, occasionally, from the mouths of street vendors or from lonely lovers in public parks throughout the city. They all exert their own unique charm – in sweet, shrill, and creaky tones.
The photographer Gitta Seiler masterfully captures the magical moments of everyday life. These are moments of hope, of mirrored happiness, of open and bashful mating calls. In China, it is mostly young women who arouse Seiler’s artistic curiosity – a political system fixated on male descendents has given these creatures a special market value. Today, instead of the old melodies, one often hears pop songs, rarely arias or folk songs. Yet all of them move our hearts, and all provide information. This is Gitta Seiler’s great artistic achievement: She discovers the hidden songs in the images and poses of everyday street scenes – and allows the pictures to maintain their mystique.
(Tilman Spengler)