A new photo book titled "Frankfurt Nights" showcases the German city from breathtaking perspectives, serving as the legacy of photographer Niko Neuwirth, who died tragically in an accident in 2022 at the age of 44. The collection presents an unusual view of Frankfurt's nocturnal landscape, focusing not on the wild and loud aspects of nightlife, but rather on the city's quiet, contemplative moments captured from extraordinary vantage points.
To fully comprehend death in all its weight, many small goodbyes are needed - countless everyday situations that make it clear someone is missing. Lisa Peil has experienced numerous such moments over the past few years since losing her life partner. Some have left deep impressions, particularly the moment when she had to change "is" to "was" and "lives" to "lived" in a text about Neuwirth. Seeing these sentences in print gives her strength, as they appear in a photo book featuring the work of the photographer who died at 44.
Neuwirth's final project reveals an unconventional perspective on Frankfurt nights. He often pushed the boundaries of legality and sometimes crossed them entirely to capture his stunning images. When construction work ceased at night throughout the city, he would venture out with his camera. He climbed through unfinished stairwells to reach the rooftops of massive new buildings under construction, always carrying his camera along.
Peil recalls that Neuwirth would spend days meticulously preparing for these nocturnal expeditions. The focus was never on reckless self-promotion, but always on finding unusual perspectives of the city he loved so much. For Peil, these were long, restless nights when Neuwirth departed with his camera. "I was often afraid he wouldn't make it home," she remembers. But Neuwirth always returned home with photographs that radiate an atypical tranquility for Frankfurt. His images capture the city's transformation and make it clear that nothing remains as it is.
Lisa Peil leafs through the heavy photo book on her lap, which she worked on together with Neuwirth. She wrote the texts contained within, attempting to capture Neuwirth's thoughts during his nocturnal wanderings through the city in long conversations. They spent hours together in the summer of 2020, discussing the selection of images, perfect cropping, and typographic design. "We got to know each other even more intensively during this time," she says. Neuwirth always understood the city as a place for all people. When he set out at night with his camera, he would always say goodbye with the words: "It's time again to steal a few pictures."
This was the first project Niko Neuwirth and Lisa Peil worked on together. She completed it without him, but she wasn't alone in the process. Neuwirth's family - his mother Bärbel and sister Ina - supported the now 37-year-old artist. Yet it remains his book, showcasing his view of the city and his thoughts, which appear in white text on a black background. Divided into three sections, it journeys through the night: "The Ascent: Rungs, steps, footsteps. I want to go all the way to the top." "The Arrival: I enjoy the view, the height, the calm, the silence of the night, being alone." "The Descent: I'm almost out and disappearing. Almost as if I was never there."
It took three years for Lisa Peil, herself an artist and social worker, to find the strength to complete the book - three years during which she postponed changing "is" to "was" and "lives" to "lived." During these three years, she found the constant transformation of the city comforting. "Everything is in motion. No standstill," she reflects.
When regular viewers flip through the book, they see the photographs and lose themselves in them, needing time to orient themselves. Lisa Peil sees the man behind the camera in her mind's eye. She sees him waiting for perfect light, sees his love for photography, his passion for connecting people and capturing them in all their individuality and beauty - a focus of his work. She sees the man who loved and captured life in all its facets through countless photos and videos.
She continues to live in the apartment they once shared and works in the studio Neuwirth founded at the Milchsackfabrik cultural site. She never stopped working on her own projects or giving drawing and design workshops. Creative work helped her during the grieving process. "It was essential to finish a few things," she explains.
Here, in the midst of the artist scene, she has found her place. Here she encounters shared companions in daily life, feels connected to him, and simultaneously finds the strength to go her own way. "He shaped this place. That sometimes hurts, but it's also beautiful." Publishing the book "Frankfurt Nights" was important for this process - it represents both an ending and a new beginning.
Niko Neuwirth died in a fatal accident in 2022 during broad daylight while working on registered commissioned photography work. The photo book "Bin gleich wieder weg - Frankfurter Nächte" ("Be Right Back - Frankfurt Nights") has been published by Kettler Verlag, featuring 112 pages in hardcover format for 42 euros.
