Roger Eberhard: Human Territoriality
Roger Eberhard: Human Territoriality
“Borders are a means of separation. They separate two sides, defining a here and a there. But they also delineate what lies within the boundaries, instilling a sense of safety and security. Although they implicitly stake a claim to permanence, nothing is as changeable as boundary lines. So it is ironic that people and entire nations should develop so much pride and protectionism on the basis of existing borders while knowing full well that these are artificial constructs that are constantly changing and sometimes disappearing altogether.” – Roger Eberhard
Human Territoriality is a selection of Roger Eberhard’s photographs of former border regions around the globe and down through the course of human history. Some of these borders have shifted over time, by only a few hundred meters or much more, due to climate change or manmade changes in the landscape, others have vanished with the fall of mighty empires on either side. Eberhard’s photographs, supplemented by in-depth captions, help us to grasp the protean puzzle of the world’s cartography. In a time of mass migration, border walls, and spreading nationalism, they reveal the inherent instability of these man-made demarcations.
Borders define an inner space and image, and drawing – as much as photographing them – is like making a (self)portrait of a country. And countries change: as a matter of fact, no matter how protective you are of your own borders, they will change and disappear. And probably be forgotten or unnoticed.
On the other hand, history has shown a growing need to create limits and mark separations: in the beginning of the 20th century, the world counted 55 countries, which became 90 in the sixties and are around 200 today.
About the Author
Roger Eberhard was born in Zurich and grew up in Birmensdorf. He moved to Vancouver in 2003, and to Santa Barbara, California in 2005 where he studied at the Brooks Institute of Photography. Eberhard won the EWZ Swiss Photo Award in 2009 for his series So Long, Cockaigne.
In 2016 Swiss publishing house Scheidegger & Spiess published Eberhard’s book Standard, for which he photographed the Hilton Hotels Standard room and the view from it in 32 different countries. The Washington Post called it a journey of the deja-vu. Author Benedict Wells contributed an essay about the monotony and melancholy of hotels to the book. Other books by Roger Eberhard include Wilted Country, In Good Light, Tumulus, and Norma.
In 2012 Roger Eberhard founded the publishing house b.frank books. Together with Swiss artist Ester Vonplon, they publish 2-4 books per year. Amongst other artists, b.frank books has released books by Saâdane Afif, Will Steacy und Jenny Rova.
