Interview: Donald Weber, inside the Imperium

With the latest interview in our series we spoke with Donald Weber of the VII Network. Having relocated to Kiev and Moscow from his home in Toronto, Weber has worked on several long term projects exploring the effects of power in the former Soviet sphere and has recently published his first book, “Bastard Eden, Our Chernobyl”.

Amongst many accomplishments Weber has received a Guggenheim Fellowship, the Lange-Taylor Prize and a World Press Photo award. He was a 2006 winner of the Photolucida Critical Mass review which just published his book Bastard Eden, Our Chernobyl (which I previously mentioned here). Before becoming a photographer, he worked as an architect with the world-renowned Rem Koolhaas in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. For his full biography have a look at the about page on his website.

"Well, I think the previous answers gives an understanding of why I live in the place I do. I’m a Russophile, but I also like the bleakness, the darkness mixed with this crazy euphoria that Russia seems to exude. Black optimism? It’s a fascinating place to be, stories and people and interest everywhere.

For me all of Russia is interesting, but essentially my work is about power and the wounds it inflicts on those who don’t have it. For if we don’t quest for power, what do we? And in Russia, Power is the defining form of the country."

Other recent interviews on DVAFOTO include the American photographers David Walter Banks and Matt Slaby about their experience covering the US election, Serbian photographer and creative Djordje Jovanovic, Basque photographer Jon Cazenave on his work in Spain and the American newspaper photographer Eric Kayne on the aftermath of Hurricane Ike in Houston, Texas.

Coming soon with be a conversation with Vanessa Winship. If you are interested in suggesting questions or topic, please visit www.dvafoto.com and send us an email.

Matt Lutton and M. Scott Brauer (Dvafoto)