The overall Motto for the 2020 Fotomarathon Berlin is:
If on a winter´s night a traveller…
2020 has not been the best of years to travel. We are remembering fondly all the places we used to be able to visit. This motto, and the accompanying individual topics, are inspired by the 1979 novel by Italian writer Italo Calvino “If on a winter´s night a traveller”. The title invites us to think what we could do if we could indeed travel without a care in the world…like we used to. If we could travel again…where would we go, what could we do? How would we feel?
The individual themes are also inspired by the book, and when put together, they tell a short story. You will realise this when you get the second batch of topics. We think this combination is a good starting point for everyone to tell a story about getting to know places or re-discovering familiar places with a new perspective.
It is not relevant to know Italo Calvino´s book to shoot your photo series. Let the title and the individual topics inspire you independently. They can be considered as verses from a poem, each one of them holding their own meaning. We want to see how you interpret the themes according to how they inspire you, reflecting your mood, the stories you want to tell or the city you are taking photos at.
And now, without further delay, here are the 9 Themes of the day:
- If on a winter’s night a traveller
- Leaning from the steep slope
- Without fear of wind or vertigo
- Looks down in the gathering shadow
- In a network of lines that intertwine
- In a network of lines that intersect
- On the moonlit carpet of leaves
- Ring around an empty pit
- Which story awaits its end down there?
If you have any questions, please check your emails for the emergency telephone. The Fotomarathon team is there to answer any questions you might have.
We wish all participants a creative day exploring their cities and interpreting the themes!
