photo books
28. January 2020
The book GOOD MORNING AUROVILLE by David Klammer works with different photo and text layers. It shows the daily life of it´s people and gives room for interpretations. Interviews with Aurovilians and texts by external authors present outer and inner sights of the „City Of Dawn“, as this place is called by many. Moreover, this book does not want to explain – it rather tries to make the viewer curious about the riddles of Auroville that might never be solved. GOOD MORNING AUROVILLE by David Klammer was honored with a Bronze Medal at Deutscher Fotobuchpreis 2020.
What exactly is Auroville?
At the end of the 1960s, parts of Western society were on the brink, looking for new forms of social coexistence. Everywhere in the western hemisphere, collective communities and villages emerged. Alongside others in the US, Twin Oaks (founded 1967) and Arcosanti, 1970, in Northern Italy Damanhur (founded in 1975), and the Findhorn community in Scotland, 1962. In the south of India, Auroville, the “City of Dawn” was founded. A society without ethnic, religious barriers should be created in the state of Tamil Nadu, an economy without money in an autonomous city that ultimately accommodates 50,000 people and to have the layout of a spiral galaxy. And, according to Aurobindo, a place of lifelong learning, of material and spiritual research
Auroville today
At present, there are about 3,000 people from over 50 nations, spread over more than 100 small-scale operations on more than 10 square kilometers of land. These are called Surrender, Hope, Creativity or Sadhana Forest. Some have devoted themselves to spirituality, others research in the field reforestation. Auroville is recognized by UNESCO and enjoys rights of sovereignty in India. There is no city center in Auroville, urban structures are scarce. The centerpiece is the huge Matrimandir, a golden spherical structure and center of spirituality. A cafeteria with a canteen is the only place where a few hundred Aurovilians meet for lunch.
In today’s Auroville, only some of the original principles have been implemented. Officially there is no money and no alcohol. Real estate belongs to the community and not the residents. Whoever earns a lot also pays a lot to the cash desk. All residents of Aurovilles receive a basic income if they need it. And above all, there is still a certain anarchy, a stage of eternal experimentation. Now, Auroville exists for more than 50 years. Meanwhile the 3rd generation lives here.
| Format | 21.7 x 26.6 cm |
| Cover | Hardcover |
| Paperstyle | matte |
| Pages | 192 |
| Number of Copies | 1,000 |
| Publisher | Edition Bildperlen |
| Price | 39.95 € |
| Shipping | Worldwide |
| Curator | Wolfgang Zurborn |
| Art-Director | Björn Pollmeyer |
| Layouter | Björn Pollmeyer |
| Photography | David Klammer |
| Editors | Wolfgang Zurborn |
| other collaborators | Tim Becker, Peter Brinkemper, Maddy Crowell, Jörg Heuer, Sven Nieder |
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