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Taryn Simon documents the hidden; her photos shed light on the secrets of society. Her “American Index of the Hidden and Unfamiliar” collects and lists places which fascinate because we either were not aware of their existence, or we did not dare to imagine them. This weekend, her exhibiton in Frankfurt opened its doors.

The title suggests a comprehensible collection. However, the collection of photos appears to be random at first sight. Simon takes us to a body farm, where the decay of human corpses is studied. She shows us the aqua-colored mystique of atomic waste, which floats in a lagoon. One photo depicts a surgery scene; a woman has her virginal membrane restored, so her future husband will not reject her.

It is the cold rationale paired with the sheer madness of human civilization which forms the context of Simon’s photos. “The core of the project is the total separation of expertise and public information,” Simon told the Sueddeutsche Zeitung. Her artistic work is the bridge to this gap. It will be on display until January 27, 2008 at the MMK in Frankfurt.

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