Architecture of Joy

Architecture of Joy, photographed at the Prater in Vienna, a site originally opened to the public by Emperor Joseph II in 1766, a moment which marked the start of its rich, two-century history as the city's primary public pleasure ground. It is a direct thematic extension of my earlier project, “Jour de Fête” (2012), shot at the Foire du Trône in Paris. I document the world of the manège (the ride) and the funfair attraction as the ephemeral architecture of celebration. At the Prater, I photograph these complex constructions, from the historic Riesenrad to the most modern machinery, as serious architectural studies. My lens is focused on the genuine reality, showcasing the beautiful and spectacular alongside the flaws, the patina of time, the loneliness of the funfair worker, and the unique, sometimes garish, sometimes tasteful, explosion of color that defines these machines. My goal is to dissociate these structures from the frenzy of entertainment to reveal their structural beauty, the patina of time, and the creative ambition of their designers. These photographs transform the noisy grounds of the amusement park into a gallery of sculptural forms, testifying to our perpetual need for escapism and the monumentality of popular joy.