15-Year Time-Lapse: Girl's Growth Captured in Berlin Street Art
Amateur photographer Wolf-Dieter Tabbert has created a unique, 15-year-long time-lapse of a young woman's growth. The 'Guetersloher Child' series, part of Guetersloh's 200th anniversary celebrations, features annual portraits of the same person, now 21, hanging above Berlin Street.
Tabbert began the project when the girl was just six. Each year, he photographed her in the same pose, using a Hasselblad camera and developing the images in his own darkroom. The resulting banners, displayed in the middle of Berlin Street, show her slow-motion development, from childhood to young adulthood.
The portraits, visible when wind conditions allow, have become a local landmark. Tabbert regularly untangles them and engages with passersby. Lena Jeckel from the municipal cultural department praises the project for involving locals with their ideas, reflecting the anniversary year's goal.
The 'Guetersloher Child' series will continue until 31 October. Tabbert chose the young woman for her authenticity, saying she has remained true to herself throughout the portraits. Her face has become etched in the minds of locals and visitors alike, creating a poignant reminder of time's passage.
