"Villa Otto Wild" by Kathrin Geiges

"An old house, an empty villa which was about to be broken down.
It was probably my enthusiasm for ancient objects that brought me to this inspiration. "




"Villa Otto Wild" : a guest post by Kathrin Geiges for YHBHS


"When buildings start to tell a story... So here I am. Alone on my own. With the key in my hand in front of an unfamiliar door to a vacant house. For a hundredth of a second I shudder and I'm playing with the thought of returning…

That’s the beginning of my story. But let’s start in sequence.

I had this idea floating in my head that screamed out to be realized. An old house, an empty villa which was about to be broken down. It was probably my enthusiasm for ancient objects that brought me to this inspiration. The idea was born and I was already facing my first problem. Where do I find an empty villa? As a kid of the social media generation, I referred myself to Facebook and put all my hope in my 300 friends. "I am looking for an ancient villa, house or storage building, which is soon to be broken down .... does anyone have an idea?" I typed it in as my status and waited impatiently for an answer. Facebook should surprise me positively. And so it did. "There is a Villa in Muri. Unfortunately I don’t know if it’s still standing or not. So you’d better contact the community first" commentated a friend. No sooner said than done! I picked up the phone and called the Building Department. The telephone conversation took place without any problem and a split second later, the community worker handed me over the key to the Villa Otto Wild. What a moment!

“So here I am” I told myself and read the sign on the door "Otto Wild". All I knew at that time was, that Otto Wild lived behind that door until 2006. Now it belongs to the community of Muri. The house has been empty ever since. That was all. That's all I knew. With a weird feeling, I grabbed the door handle and put the key into the keyhole. After several attempts I finally opened the massive door, then something magical happened to me. I could not believe my eyes. From that moment I felt like I am in a movie. Every room, every floor I entered was tidied up and just amazing. I expected nothing and gained everything !

Beautiful old furniture, lamps on the floor and curtains still hang there. It was like I can feel the soul of this wonderful building. Something that is still in here and keeps the beauty of this mansion. It was something really special, that I haven’t experienced so far. I cannot describe it in words, but I think you can it see on my photos.

And the whole time I felt like Otto Wild would come home any moment... - Kathrin Geiges









Kathrin Geiges: "born in the nineties, currently doing a preparation year in arts and applying for studying photography at an arts university in Switzerland. I am impressed by people’s stories and see myself as someone who has to document individuals around me with photographs."

contact Kathrin Geiges here.

all photos and text by by Kathrin Geiges







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