The Guardians

For his series, “The Guardians,” Antaki traveled across Europe, the Middle East, and America, photographing shopkeepers or “Guardians.” These “Guardians” are keepers of what Antaki terms “urban temples,” unique spaces which, in an age of cookie-cutter, corporate shops, hearken back to an earlier time and mode of urban life. Antaki creates visually arresting portraits of the “Guardians” in their urban temples that make the viewer connect to the beauty of these often-forgotten spaces.

These urban temples are the heart and soul of our cities; they are what give the urban centre its uniqueness in time and space. There is also a duty of remembrance associated with these places. As many of them close their doors, it is incumbent on artists like Antaki to preserve their memory.

Das Buch zeigt 45 Ladenbesitzer und Handwerker aus Beirut, Berlin, Bordeaux, Istanbul, London, Mexico City, Miami, Montréal, New York, Paris, Philadelphia, Toronto und Venice Beach.