Wolfgang Bellwinkel
Vast Land

Between the year 849 and the present, Myanmar had an astounding 22 different capitals and 39 changes of government seats. “Vast Land” by Wolfgang Bellwinkel is a photographic study of the country’s last three capitals: Mandalay (1857-1885), Yangon (1885-2005) and Naypyitaw (since 2005). All were planned on the drawing board, all are marked by the claim to power and self-image of those who built them. Using these three cities as case studies, Bellwinkel tells the story of a country in which, from colonial oppression to the state of emergency of the present, one tragedy follows the next: World war, civil wars, natural disasters, military dictatorship, ethnic conflicts and displacement have left their markes on cityscapes of the capitals. In contrast to the drama of the rapidly unfolding events, Bellwinkel’s images are sober and precise photographs that reveal the character and various historical layers of the three cities. In doing so, Bellwinkel accomplishes nothing less than an archaeology of Myanmar’s recent history.
Complementing the photographs, the 20-page essay by sociologist Heinz Schütte offers an in-depth look at the history and present of the featured cities.

Wolfgang Bellwinkel (*1959) completed his degree in photography at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen in 1994 with a project on the war in Bosnia. Urbanization, social upheaval, political ­violence – but also his personal position in the world – are the major themes of the projects Bellwinkel realizes and exhibits internationally. Bellwinkel teaches at universities in Germany and Asia, living and working both there and in Berlin.