The focus of my project is on the river Isar which crosses the city of Munich,
Germany. In former times, the river was of great economic importance to the city
but today it serves as Munich’s largest area for recreation. Although the Isar
was canalized and its banks were fixed during the 19th century, large sections
of the river convey an impression of “wilderness” that is quite exceptional for
an urban landscape. This is due to the particular geology of the Munich area as
well as a public initiative to “re-naturalize” the Isar.
City River is my ongoing exploration of the meaning of wilderness in the context
of an urban landscape that has been used and rebuilt for many centuries. I am
interested in the intersection of nature and culture and how people experience it.