Since the beginning of the pandemic, hospital staff have been working at the limit of their capacity on hermetically sealed COVID wards. Günter Valda – himself working as a hospital nurse – asked colleagues to send him selfies from work and to jot down their thoughts and feelings. The result is a collection of faces that are marked by tightly fitting protective gear and the physical and emotional toll of the past two years.

«Don’t Let Me Down» gives a moving account from the perspective of front-line workers by combining these striking self-portraits and other deeply personal material in a deliberately dense and overwhelming layout. Artefacts from low resolution photography are amplified rather than concealed, images are layered on top of one another, bold typography is set edge to edge. Printed on uncoated paper and fitting neatly into the palm of a hand, this publication can still be considered a photo book, albeit a rather unusual one.

Katrina Wiedner

Günter Valda

Druckerei Kettler

Günter Valda