Image Courtesy of Max Siedentopf.
Life is pretty short, so it’s nice to try to learn as many different things as possible. Being curious, always digging up new things, taking in information and inspiration with all your senses. More books, more photos, more films, more surprises and a lot more love – all describe how intensely you live (or as Max Siedentopf, artist and photographer, does).
SLEEK: What does the word ‘identity’ evoke in you, Max?
Max Siedentopf: A continuously moving and changing colourful and bottomless whirlpool. It’s impossible to hold as it’s constantly shifting and changing as we speak.
S: And what is triggered when you hear the word ‘identity’?
MS: A burst of eight billion different faces flashing in front of my eyes, each one completely different from the last. Sometimes it also triggers a light hiccup.
S: Where do you locate identity?
MS: Similar to a fresh breeze of air, it’s flying all around, constantly touching and shaping us. Each identity ultimately shapes the next ones.
Image Courtesy of Max Siedentopf.
S: How exactly did this selection of works come about in terms of symbols and identity?
MS: Each piece reflects a fragment of or a glimpse into society, which in turn represents various symbols and identity. The works that were selected range widely in meaning – from more critical associations to slightly more banal and mundane ones, both of which I think are equally important when talking about identity.
S: What do you not want to do without at the moment?
MS: Oxygen.
S: Thank you, Max. See you soon.
Image Courtesy of Max Siedentopf.
Image Courtesy of Max Siedentopf.
Image Courtesy of Max Siedentopf.
As featured in SLEEK 74 – IDENTITY. Available in print and digital here.
“Things can always go wrong, but instead of giving up… you should learn to adapt”, says Max Siedentopf. Max grew up in Windhoek, Namibia, and subsequently lived and worked in Berlin, Los Angeles and Amsterdam. He is tireless: ideas just bubble out of him. His artistic practice explores social, cultural and political situations through direct and satirical approaches. For SLEEK, he has brought together works on the theme of “Identity and Symbols”. He is currently based in Berlin.