Moments of the time past

HYDERABAD: The photographic essay of Thomas Lüttge and Hans Winterberg, curated by by Heiko Sievers, is wrapped in a book. The book’s editor is to present the pictorial journey of changing the topography of Hyderabad at Golkonda fort today 24 November.  

The picture book Golconda-Hyderabad charts the changing conditions of historical buildings and architectural marvels of Golconda and Hyderabad - through the effects of conservation, preservation, and the city’s development.

The photographs in this book, curated by Heiko Sievers, are a selection from an archive of work that spanned over 40 years, starting way back in 1975. Hans Winterberg and Thomas Lüttge’s pieces are essential as historical documentation and a stimulus to conservation movements.

“I have selected 120 images taken during the project’s three phases, chronicling the condition of many historical buildings over the four decades. It serves as material evidence of the encroaching pressures of contemporary urbanisation on a significant historic landscape,” Heiko Sievers says.

He added photographs of Thomas Lüttge, who passed away in 2014, to provide a truthful record of a kaleidoscope of rich architectural fragments fast fading from urban memory.  

His book will also include essays by eminent scholars familiar with Hyderabad’s architectural history and the underway conservation efforts. 

The photographer has held 30 solo exhibitions and has several publications to his credit. This apart, Goethe-Institut New Delhi and Goethe-Zentrum Hyderabad, in collaboration with the Indian Photo Festival, will hold an exclusive panel with editor Heiko Sievers in conservation architect Anuradha Naik.