THE ANATOMY OF MELANCHOLY
photographed by Hannah Häseker
ANATOMY
The most beautiful internal organ of the human body?
The uterus.
Organ or piano?
Organ.
Would you be a good neurosurgeon?
The simple word neurosurgeon and the associated duties give me phantom pain, and seeing blood makes me uneasy… so a definite no!
Your body, your choice?
Yes!!!
Would you rather have a bionic arm or a bionic leg? (Quote from the TV Show “Extras”)
My left arm is not that strong, so I think a bionic arm might come in handy, fitted with extra photographic tools I could order… and then, maybe, they call me the cyber-photographer? We all have to find a niche after all…
The heart wants what the heart wants?
Yes. Sadly, not necessarily the best sometimes. And, unfortunately, I am very good at outsmarting it.
Head over heels or break a leg? (Song by Tears For Fears / Idiom)
Head over heels! Has proved itself in my life.
What gets you pissed off instantly?
At present, looking at the current situation in the world and the feeling that history repeats itself in our country with far-right thinking finding its way into our social structures. Governing and ruling by patriarchal systems and the disbelief at how this can still be possible in the 21st century.
Anatomy of a murder: How would you commit the perfect murder? (Film by Otto Preminger, 1959)
Hmm, arsenic and old lace worked out just fine… otherwise be very discreet about how I would do it.
MELANCHOLY
What’s your favorite season?
Spring, the month of May in particular (asparagus and lilac!!).
What color do you like?
Dark green.
Do you remember your first melancholic experience in life?
With the connotations of truly experienced melancholy in mind, for me this would be greatly missing my semester abroad in Budapest (in 2015); first and foremost living in the city per se and making my photographic dreams and lifestyle aesthetic come true. Life felt a bit like in another time then.
Your remedy for melancholy?
Celebrating it, drinking red wine, listening to Russian chansons and pipe smoking.
Can flowers suffer from melancholy, too?
It would at least unravel the fragrance mystery of lily of the valley and why I love hanging them dried everywhere in my apartment so much.
Loneliness has many names? (“Einsamkeit Hat Viele Namen”, a German Schlager by Christian Anders)
Yes that’s true, and naming it helps, if you can. Loneliness becomes less abstract and easier to handle.
Is age a nuisance to you?
Taking a break and stop for a while would be delightful, as the past couple of years in my life feel to have passed rather quickly. But being upset about it? No, because otherwise I wouldn’t value what I have lived anymore.
Distant Voices, Still Lives? (Film by Terence Davies)
Inspiring title, I can work with that.
Would you take pictures at a funeral of a family member?
No.
Paper handkerchief or silk handkerchief?
Silk, always!
Does humor belong in photo art? (Borrowed from “Does Humor Belong In Music” by Frank Zappa)
Of course! I wish I could take humorous pictures.
Far too few amusement parks in this world?
I wouldn’t say far too few, but the world could use some more amusement right now (and I adore amusement parks).
What do you sing in the shower?
“Neon Lights” by Kraftwerk (the 9-minute version), including the instrumental parts.
_Uwe Buschmann (Copy editing Silvia Strauch)
WHO IS…?
Hannah Helene Häseker is a 27-year-old photographer. Currently, she is writing her master thesis on the subject of „Muse“ for which she travelled to Siberia, alone, in 2019. Having grown up in the forest areas surrounding Göttingen and the Harz mountains, she often is on the lookout for places and people who seem to have fallen out of time. With her Hasselblad camera she tries to capture them in 6 x 6 medium format film. https://hannah-haeseker.de/
https://www.instagram.com/hannah_haeseker/
