Beichtstühle / Confessionals

In his photographs, Volker Schrank removes confessionals out from the sacred space from which they originate. Set against monochrome backgrounds in bold colors reminiscent of medieval stained glass windows, they appear at once familiar and distant. But a confessionalhowever abstract and detached its depictionis not merely a piece of furniture, but a place deeply charged with emotion. In Schrank's pictures, confessionals become ethereal objects, imbued with stories and experiences that go far beyond their function as the venue for admissions and absolution. The confessionals from around the world photographed by Volker Schrank are eloquent in their silence. What those who voluntarily sought them out or were compelled to do so said, confessed, or experienced within them remains their secret.