Marek Berezowski - Citymorphosis

Citymorphosis is a photobook about the transformations taking place in the cities of the former Eastern Bloc. It is a documentary search for signs of the transformation of the Communist-era landscape into that of contemporary global capitalism. Although the processes now under way in the cities of China, Russia, Poland and former East Germany are similar in type, they vary in intensity.

The inhabitants of metropolises have a decreasing influence on local planning and development in their immediate surroundings, regardless of whether they are living in a democracy or autocracy, in Europe or in Asia. Presumably because urban planning has been subordinated to the logic of profit and growth. 

In the preceding era, the growth of cities was aligned with Le Corbusier’s utopian visions and the dire realities of Communist planned economy. Today, the city centres are colonized by skyscrapers and the green spaces are occupied by apartment buildings for corporate staff. New buildings are being squeezed into existing housing projects and new housing estates are being built on the outskirts of cities for future metropolitan residents. 

Citymorphosis is a photodocumentary project. By choosing frames free of signs or symbols, it was possible to create a visual synthesis of the universal and global transformation of contemporary cities in the “East”, to observe the process of the unification of urban space and pop culture standards.

Photographs taken in 2013-2017.

Hard cover, 99 pages, 64 colour pictures, essay about urabanism in Eastern Bloc (in English and Polish)
Book concept, photographs and text: Marek M, Berezowski
Photo edition: Joanna Kinowska
Design: Kasia Kubicka
Printrun: 500