Valentin Semsedini
Text and Images: Valentin Semsedini
About the Artist:
Valentin is 35 years old, half Swiss, half Italian and lives in Berlin. After a few years of cosy winter depression, he finds a way to counter the cold days in Berlin with color. On walks through Neukölln, Kreuzberg and Mitte he escapes the grip of the grey walls, by finding the right car for the ripe fruit. Besides photography, Valentin illustrates and does tattoing, once as a professional, nowadays just on friends. Valentin earns his fruits by working as an art director in the design studio „kids“, which he founded together with friends.
About the Project: Fruit on Cars
Valentin paints with the children of the sun. With its light, which gives him fruits in all colors. He then puts these fruits on cars, temporary canvases that do not belong to him and which were built to drive away. The owners of the cars sit in his ear and ask questions. An uncomfortable dialogue develops. Valentin knows his part by heart, just for the case that never happens. I get to be there, sometimes, when he makes his rounds, looking for the perfect combination of fruit and car. Sometimes the laps are straight and long, depending on the street. There are many cars in Berlin, too many, someone sometimes says, for example on the radio. Valentin recognises that it is a good car as he drives past. Only to brake again in front of the fruit stand with the piled-up treasures. Shiny apples, orange oranges and bananas from green to black and yellow. The plump fruits are embraced by the curves of the car, defying the laws of gravity. For the next few minutes they look beautiful, together. Now I have to confess something. Sometimes thefruits are also vegetables, but when the cauliflower is called cauliflower, no one takes the subdivision so seriously. And when Valentin comes home, he knows what‘s for dinner the next week, and a week later he knows what you could make out of rhubarb. By the way, apples can be kept for one month, then three, then half a year and finally a whole year on a Berlin balcony.
You can see more of his work on his website and IInstagram.
