Conditions by Andrés Marroquín Winkelmann

My vote for the most interesting, but largely overlooked, photobook of the past few years is Conditions by Andrés Marroquín Winkelmann. It uses an innovative structure to physically capture a key aspect of the book's meaning. According to the publisher

The book examines what it means to choose one’s own way of life. It portrays people who lead a free and independent life, and who have to learn how to cope with freedom, to find their own unique way. "Conditions" shows pictures of people who long to be socially accepted without having to conform, people who are “on the road”, searching, hoping and doubting.

"Conditions" does not guide the viewer. It does not tell the viewer how it should be read, looked through or perceived. There is no clear starting point, there is no definite order. The viewer is asked to find her own order, to find her own path through "Conditions", resulting in a personal journey... The reader is looking at the reality of Marroquín Winkelmann´s life, she sees places and faces, and she is asked to develop her own attitude towards them.

 
"Conditions", Andrés Marroquín Winkelmann from Meier und Müller on Vimeo.