Anderswo / Elsewhere

Petra Barth grew up in a rural village in postwar Germany. She, her parents and her sisters lived on a small piece of land where nature was untamed. She climbed trees, floated on tires in big puddles of rainwater, picked wild blueberries in a nearby forest, and wandered along the giant furrows of a massive potato field. But, as evenings approached, she feared for the moment she had to go to bed. Recurring nightmares haunted her during the day and kept her awake at night. “I kept hoping that if I didn’t fall asleep, I could escape my dreams. Maybe that’s why I am captivated by illusions.”