Nora Bibel Photography | Family comes first

Joint family portraits

Dr. Matthias Harder, Curator, Helmut Newton Stiftung

In India, the traditional extended family is a sacred institution deeply rooted in Hindu thought. In this model of life, three or more generations live under one roof, sharing a kitchen, sometimes even one bank account. Following the tradition the adult sons and their families stay in the house of their parents, so that often more than 20 people live together in one house. The golden days of the Indian joint family are just beginning to unravel and even morph into other forms in a globalised India.
“… We simultaneously look several people straight in the face in these images: strangers assembled in unusual constellations, or whom the photographer perhaps staged this way, to allow us a closer look at them. … We become witnesses then: silent and at times somewhat voyeristic observers, or intruders in closed systems….”

Family name GANAPA
Originally from NORTH KARNATAKA

KITCHEN: One
LIVING ROOM: One
BEDROOMS: Five
BATHROOM: One
MOBILE PHONES: Eleven
CARS: ~
MOTORCYCLES: Five
BICYCLES: Three
BANK ACCOUNT: One

Family name GANAPA
Originally from NORTH KARNATAKA

KITCHEN: One
LIVING ROOM: One
BEDROOMS: Five
BATHROOM: One
MOBILE PHONES: Eleven
CARS: ~
MOTORCYCLES: Five
BICYCLES: Three
BANK ACCOUNT: One

Originally from TAMILNADU
District SHIVAJINAGAR
living in this house since 1970

KITCHEN: One
LIVING ROOMS: Five
BEDROOMS: Twelve
BATHROOMS: Fifteen
MOBILE PHONES: Nine
CARS: Eight
MOTORCYCLE: One
BICYCLES: ~
BANK ACCOUNT: One

Originally from TAMILNADU
District SHIVAJINAGAR
living in this house since 1970

KITCHEN: One
LIVING ROOMS: Five
BEDROOMS: Twelve
BATHROOMS: Fifteen
MOBILE PHONES: Nine
CARS: Eight
MOTORCYCLE: One
BICYCLES: ~
BANK ACCOUNT: One

Originally from BANGALORE
living in this house since 1970

KITCHENS: ~
LIVING SPACES: Two
BEDROOM: One BATHROOMS: ~
MOBILE PHONES: Three
CARS: ~
MOTORCYCLES: Three
BICYCLES: ~
BANK ACCOUNT: One

Originally from BANGALORE
living in this house since 1970

KITCHENS: ~
LIVING SPACES: Two
BEDROOM: One BATHROOMS: ~
MOBILE PHONES: Three
CARS: ~
MOTORCYCLES: Three
BICYCLES: ~
BANK ACCOUNT: One

Originally from BANGALORE
living together in their ﬂat since 2000

KITCHENS: Two
LIVING ROOMS: Two
BEDROOMS: Five
BATHROOMS: Two
MOBILE PHONES: Ten
CARS: Two
MOTORCYCLES: Five
BICYCLE: One
BANK ACCOUNTS: Thirteen

Originally from BANGALORE
living together in their ﬂat since 2000

KITCHENS: Two
LIVING ROOMS: Two
BEDROOMS: Five
BATHROOMS: Two
MOBILE PHONES: Ten
CARS: Two
MOTORCYCLES: Five
BICYCLE: One
BANK ACCOUNTS: Thirteen

Originally from BANGALORE District SHANTINAGAR

KITCHENS: ~
LIVING SPACES: Two
BEDROOMS: ~
BATHROOM: One
MOBILE PHONES: Seven
CARS: ~
MOTORCYCLES: Five
BICYCLES: ~
BANK ACCOUNT: One

Originally from BANGALORE District SHANTINAGAR

KITCHENS: ~
LIVING SPACES: Two
BEDROOMS: ~
BATHROOM: One
MOBILE PHONES: Seven
CARS: ~
MOTORCYCLES: Five
BICYCLES: ~
BANK ACCOUNT: One

Originally from BANGALORE
living in their house since 1986

KITCHEN: One
LIVING ROOM: One
BEDROOMS: Eight
BATHROOMS: Four
MOBILE PHONES: Eighteen
CARS: ~
MOTORCYCLES: Seven
BICYCLES: Three
BANK ACCOUNTS: Sixteen

Originally from BANGALORE
living in their house since 1986

KITCHEN: One
LIVING ROOM: One
BEDROOMS: Eight
BATHROOMS: Four
MOBILE PHONES: Eighteen
CARS: ~
MOTORCYCLES: Seven
BICYCLES: Three
BANK ACCOUNTS: Sixteen

Family name MYSORE
Originally from BANGALORE

KITCHEN: One
LIVING ROOM: One BEDROOMS: Five
BATHROOM: One
MOBILE PHONES: Thirteen
CARS: Three MOTORCYCLES: Eight
BICYCLES: Two
BANK
ACCOUNT: One

Family name MYSORE
Originally from BANGALORE

KITCHEN: One
LIVING ROOM: One BEDROOMS: Five
BATHROOM: One
MOBILE PHONES: Thirteen
CARS: Three MOTORCYCLES: Eight
BICYCLES: Two
BANK
ACCOUNT: One

Originally from TAMIL NADU District AZAD NAGAR

KITCHEN: One
LIVING ROOMS: Two
BEDROOMS: Three
BATHROOMS: Two
MOBILE PHONES: Three
CAR: One
MOTORCYCLE: One
BICYCLES: ~
BANK ACCOUNTS: Two

Originally from TAMIL NADU District AZAD NAGAR

KITCHEN: One
LIVING ROOMS: Two
BEDROOMS: Three
BATHROOMS: Two
MOBILE PHONES: Three
CAR: One
MOTORCYCLE: One
BICYCLES: ~
BANK ACCOUNTS: Two

Originally from BANGALORE

KITCHEN: One
LIVING ROOMS: Three
BEDROOMS: Thirteen
BATHROOM: One
MOBILE PHONES: Twenty-two
CARS: Four
MOTORCYCLES: Five
BICYCLES: Two
BANK ACCOUNT: One

Originally from BANGALORE

KITCHEN: One
LIVING ROOMS: Three
BEDROOMS: Thirteen
BATHROOM: One
MOBILE PHONES: Twenty-two
CARS: Four
MOTORCYCLES: Five
BICYCLES: Two
BANK ACCOUNT: One

Originally from NORTH KARNATAKA, GULBARGA
District SHANTINAGAR
came to BANGALORE in 1980

KITCHENS: ~
LIVING SPACE: One
BEDROOM: One
BATHROOMS: ~
MOBILE PHONES: Four
CARS: ~
MOTORCYCLES: ~
BICYCLES: Two
BANK ACCOUNT: One

Originally from NORTH KARNATAKA, GULBARGA
District SHANTINAGAR
came to BANGALORE in 1980

KITCHENS: ~
LIVING SPACE: One
BEDROOM: One
BATHROOMS: ~
MOBILE PHONES: Four
CARS: ~
MOTORCYCLES: ~
BICYCLES: Two
BANK ACCOUNT: One

Family name SRIDHAR
Originally from NORTH KARNATAKA

KITCHEN: One
LIVING ROOM: One
BEDROOMS: Five
BATHROOM: One
MOBILE PHONES: Nine
CARS: Two
MOTORCYCLES: Two
BICYCLES: Three
BANK ACCOUNTS: Ten

Family name SRIDHAR
Originally from NORTH KARNATAKA

KITCHEN: One
LIVING ROOM: One
BEDROOMS: Five
BATHROOM: One
MOBILE PHONES: Nine
CARS: Two
MOTORCYCLES: Two
BICYCLES: Three
BANK ACCOUNTS: Ten

Originally from BANGALORE

KITCHEN: One
LIVING ROOM: One
BEDROOMS: Five
BATHROOM: One
MOBILE PHONES: Eleven
CARS: ~
MOTORCYCLES: Five
BICYCLES: Three
BANK ACCOUNT: One

Originally from BANGALORE

KITCHEN: One
LIVING ROOM: One
BEDROOMS: Five
BATHROOM: One
MOBILE PHONES: Eleven
CARS: ~
MOTORCYCLES: Five
BICYCLES: Three
BANK ACCOUNT: One

Family name PISSAY
Originally from KARNATAKA, near BANGALORE

KITCHEN: One
LIVING ROOMS: Two
BEDROOMS: Seven
BATHROOMS: Three
MOBILE PHONES: Fifteen
CARS: Two
MOTORCYCLES: Seven
BICYCLES: ~
BANK ACCOUNTS: Five

Family name PISSAY
Originally from KARNATAKA, near BANGALORE

KITCHEN: One
LIVING ROOMS: Two
BEDROOMS: Seven
BATHROOMS: Three
MOBILE PHONES: Fifteen
CARS: Two
MOTORCYCLES: Seven
BICYCLES: ~
BANK ACCOUNTS: Five

District SHANTINAGAR

KITCHEN: One LIVING ROOM: One BEDROOMS: ~ BATHROOMS: ~
MOBILE PHONES: Four
CARS: ~
MOTORCYCLES: ~
BICYCLES: ~
BANK ACCOUNT: One

District SHANTINAGAR

KITCHEN: One LIVING ROOM: One BEDROOMS: ~ BATHROOMS: ~
MOBILE PHONES: Four
CARS: ~
MOTORCYCLES: ~
BICYCLES: ~
BANK ACCOUNT: One

The book

100 pages
44 photographs
220 x 295 mm
Hard cover, padded, embossed
English
Design: Anja Lutz // Book Design
The Green Box, Berlin 2017

ISBN 978-3-941644-96-0

The series consists of 44 family portraits, which are supplemented by personal information on the family members and the family’s social status. The work has been developed and funded during the bangaloREsidency of the Goethe-Institut Max Mueller Bhavan Bangalore.

With texts by Christoph Bertrams, Suresh Jayaram, Nupur Basu and Dr. Matthias Harder.