Berlin Stories: photography essay documents the city of art, fashion and parties

Aiming to build an entire library inspired by Berlin, the images have been taken by the most "prominent photographers working in the city today".

Volume One begins with a journey on the "dog’s head-shaped" railway encircling central Berlin–the French-Italian pair of photographers spent a good six weeks riding the S-Bahn clockwise from east to west to east.

They stopped at all of the twenty-seven stations, where both would shoot a thirty-six exposure roll of film until the standard automated announcement recited “Zurückbleiben, bitte!” The idea was to find key aspects of the environment around each station—intuitive, playful, and poetic—whether it was the Treptower Park snack bar along the Spree, the idyllic community gardens next to the platforms near Heidelberger Platz, or a cheerful group of seniors drinking beer at the Halensee.

Again and again, the yellow-red cars of the S-Bahn loom into view, finally assuming their own icon status.

Berlin Stories 1:Ama Split & Riky Kiwy: Hundekopf. Die Berliner Ringbahn is published by Hatje Cantz and available for €20, available in both German and English.