The secret in their pockets

Objects that can indicate their profession, their hobbies, their passions, their affairs, or their social status—all those little hidden gems break through the light-sensitive paper, revealing the secret in their pockets.

Created entirely in the darkroom without a camera, The secret in their pockets utilizes the historical technique of the photogram (rayograph). By inviting people to empty their pockets and placing their everyday items directly onto silver halide photo paper, each exposure becomes a unique, unrepeatable visual record.

We take part in a silent examination: taking a seat in the darkroom, wearing our metaphorical latex gloves, standing by the "X-ray machine" to carefully examine these personal artifacts. The interplay between sharp objectivity and graphic abstraction allows mundane items—screws, keys, gloves, utensils—to transform into poetic symbols of human routine and personal narrative.

In an era dominated by digital immediacy, this project returns to the elemental alchemy of analogue photography. Bypassing the camera lens, the series offers a direct, tactile investigation into what we carry, what we conceal, and how the physical traces of our daily life define who we are.

Featured in the publication "Inspiration Leica Akademie" by Heidi Mertens & Robert Mertens.