"...portraits of 26 people who were very close to death."

A big part of life on the streets is dying on the streets. One of the things folks who are homeless see perhaps more so than others in our society - undertakers and ER staff notwithstanding - is death and dying. Homelessness kills.

Life Before Death noch mal leben: portraits of the dying photographs by Walters Schels texts by Beate Lakotta Few experiences are likely to affect us as profoundly as an encounter with death. Yet most deaths occur almost covertly, at one remove from our everyday lives. Death and dying are arguably our last taboos – the topics our society finds most difficult. We certainly fear them more than our ancestors did. Opportunities to learn more about them are rare indeed. This exhibition features people whose lives are coming to an end. It explores the experiences, hopes and fears of the terminally ill. All of them agreed to be photographed shortly before and immediately after death. The majority of the subjects portrayed spent their last days in hospices. All those who come to such places realise that their lives are drawing to a close. They know there is not much time left to settle their personal affairs. Yet hardly anyone here is devoid of hope: they hope for a few more days; they hope that a dignified death awaits them or that death will not be the end of everything. The photographer Walter Schels and the journalist Beate Lakotta spent over a year preparing this exhibition in hospices in northern Germany. They made portraits of 26 people who were very close to death. The exhibition articulates the experiences, hopes and fears of the dying, and gives them one more opportunity to be heard. Photographs: Walter Schels Born in 1936, and living in Hamburg, Germany, Walter Schels is best known for his photographic character studies. Text: Beate Lakotta Beate Lakotta, born in 1965, is an editor of the science section of Der Spiegel news magazine. She lives in Hamburg, Germany. YOUR COMMENTS Please write your comments about this work in our blog. VIDEO You can see and hear the authors talk about this project in an excellent 9-1/2 minute video interview. EXHIBITIONS These are the current and future exhibitions for the moment: 9 April-18 May 2008 Wellcome Collection, London www.wellcomecollection.org 14 April-10 August 2008 Kunsthaus, Hamburg www.kunsthaushamburg.de 17 October-17 November 2008 Kornhausforum, Bern www.kornhausforum.ch 19 February-21 March. 2009 Fotoforum West, Innsbruck www.fotoforumwest.at Noch mal leben vor dem Tod A beautifully printed book including many more photographs from this series is available at the moment only with a German-language text. Ask your local bookseller to order it.

Wolfgang Kotzahn age: 57 born: 19th January 1947 first portrait taken:15th January 2004 died: 4th February 2004 There are colourful tulips brightening up the night table. The nurse has prepared a tray with champagne glasses and a cake. It’s Wolfgang Kotzahn’s birthday today. “I’ll be 57 today. I never thought of myself growing old, but nor did I ever think I’d die when I was still so young. But death strikes at any age.” Six months ago the reclusive accountant had been stunned by the diagnosis: bronchial carcinoma, inoperable. “It came as a real shock. I had never contemplated death at all, only life,” says Herr Kotzahn. “I’m surprised that I have come to terms with it fairly easily. Now I’m lying here waiting to die. But each day that I have I savour, experiencing life to the full. I never paid any attention to clouds before. Now I see everything from a totally different perspective: every cloud outside my window, every flower in the vase. Suddenly, everything matters.” Visit site