Astor Hair, New York & Vokuhila, Berlin: Hairstyling & Social Marketplace

Berlin photographer Nicolaus Schmidt has invited his hairstylists, Claire and Andrea, from the bohemian Berlin neighbourhood of Prenzlauer Berg to offer free haircuts for 10 people (please RSVP, deutscheshaus.rsvp@nyu.edu.) at Deutsches Haus. Nicolaus Schmidt will take photographs, which will be added to his exhibition of photographs featured in his book Astor Place / Broadway / New York to be presented at Deutsches Haus starting on February 11, 2014. His book shows a multifaceted portrait of New York's unique hairsalon Astor Place Hairstylists.

EXHIBITION: Astor Hair, New York & Vokuhila, Berlin: Hairstyling & Social Marketplace Tuesday, February 11th - Saturday, March 1st Location: Deutsches Haus at NYU Exhibition Opening, February 11, 6:30 p.m.

PERFORMANCE: Saturday, February 8th, 11:00 a.m. Location: Deutsches Haus at NYU

In his book Astor Place / Broadway / New York Nicolaus Schmidt shows a multifaceted portrait of New York's unique hairsalon Astor Place Hairstylists. Deutsches Haus presents a selection of these stunning photographs – complemented by photographs from the performance with Vokuhila hairstylists at Deutsches Haus, on February 8.

Founded in 1947 by a Sicilian family, Astor Hair is a time capsule in NoHo next to Broadway. Astor Hair is a vibrant space. Today more than 50 barbers and hair stylists – immigrants from every corner of the world – are at work surrounded by mirrors, barbers’ chairs from several decades, cellar pipes and barbers’ work stations that look like art installations. 10 years ago the shop had to reduce itself to the basement of an early 20th century building. It is the kind of business that is being forced out of Manhattan due to high rents.

In 2000, Vokuhila (mullet) was the new name for a salon featuring East German furniture and a history of 70 years. Located at Kastanienallee where every summer young people from all over the world are gathering, Vokuhila remains a "Kiez Salon,” a meeting place for the local residents. Similar to the Manhattan salon, Vokuhila is on the edge of bearing an increased rent in developing Prenzlauer Berg. The question is how long does it take for a quarter is loose its soul when fancy stores and chains are taking over?

Nicolaus Schmidt (born in Arnis, Germany on January 1, 1953) is a German artist, photographer, and historian. He studied at the Hamburg Art Academy in the 1970s. In 1975, he founded ROSA, one of Germany’s first gay-themed magazines. During the 1980s, he was a volunteer with the German branch of the children’s rights organization terre des hommes, serving for a time as its chairman. In 1982 he created the Cerro Rico art happening in Hamburg with 600,000 empty cans. Since 1991, he has been living and making art in the Berlin neighborhood of Prenzlauer Berg. He focuses on photography since 2002 and has exhibited in Basel, Berlin, Hamburg, New York, Flensburg, and Valencia. Astor Place is his third book with Kerber Verlag.

Astor Hair, New York & Vokuhila, Berlin: Hairstyling & Social Marketplace

Künstler:
Nicolaus Schmidt

Kuratoren:
Martin Rauchbauer