Corporeal

Berlin-based Greek artist Spyros Rennt is launching his new book “Corporeal”. As Rennt’s third self-published book, “Corporeal” features 150 new photographs from experiences and observations of different communities. On the queer community, the underground club scene and sometimes intertwined; the observation Rennt made is not from an outsider perspective, but as a part of these groups. The content of the images is personal and ranges from tender to raw, and sometime humor can also be seen. The relationships he recorded are in the public sphere as well as in private: on club dance floors and in bedrooms, on beaches and in hotel rooms.

On the occasion of his book launch, which will take place in Milan’s LGBT-specialized bookstore Libreria Antigone on July 13th, 2023, CAP 74024 invites Spyros Rennt for a talk, sharing stories about his creativity life in Berlin, the inspiration behind his photography, and his perspective on the relationship between intimacy and human bodies.

Hi Spyros, how are you?

Exhausted but happy, as I am preparing for the Milan launch of my new book Corporeal! It’s full on summer (finally!) in Berlin, it’s bright until 10pm, friends from abroad are visiting and at the same time it’s a busy time between commissions and promoting the book. But Berlin summer is usually like that, hot, ecstatic and sticky!

Tell us a bit about the project “Corporeal”

It’s my third book of photos, covering the period from 2020 to early 2023. Intimacy, community, erotica, underground spaces are themes and concepts explored in the book intertwined with each other.

How long have you been based in Berlin?

I moved here in the start of the summer of 2011 – it’s crazy to think I’ve been here so long, watching the city (and myself with it) change the way it has, but I wouldn’t change my experiences for anything!

What do you think about Berlin? What has Berlin inspired you?

I don’t think I would have become a photographer had I not been living here. I moved here with an engineering degree, but that was clearly not meant to be. I figured out I wanted to be doing something creative and photography was somehow calling me. All this would not be possible if I was not exposed to a Berlin way of living in a city that used to be much more affordable than today, which gave people a chance to experiment without worrying too much about making ends meet. On top of that, you could meet a lot of like-minded people, which was in itself inspiring.

Body is a prominent subject in your work, why do you choose them as the main subject to shoot? What is the relationship between human bodies, your aesthetics and your photography?

I would say that the body is just one of my interests, photographically speaking. My new book tells various stories and the focus falls on various themes.

Intimacy, parties and revels are often seen in your work. What is the charm of these moments that make you want to capture?

I think that it’s important to say that this documentation is coming from the perspective of a queer person. I document my own experiences, but at the same time I am capturing a community and an era. The queer community and our way of life exists on a different plane often unseen from the mainstream world – with my work I aim to contribute to its visibility and also create a record of its existence for future generations.

According to curator Maia Kenney, hands are the first things she notices when she sees your photography. What about you? Which body parts will observe the first when looking at a human body?

I don’t think there’s a certain body part that I will look for in every person I meet, but some features that can fascinate me are the eyes, the eyebrows, the arms and the lips.