Pfützenarchiv

Temporary and ephemeral, puddles are transient entities that establish themselves in specific locations. Their presence or absence is contingent on the prevailing weather conditions. Despite their seemingly trivial nature, when one pays attention to puddles, they induce an unforeseen shift in perspective, revealing a multi-faceted approach to understanding the world. Puddles emerge through a site-specific interplay of weather patterns, soil composition, erosion, and human activities. The phenomenon of soil sealing distinctly defines puddles, and their existence is influenced by the evolving water cycle driven by climate change.

Das Pfützenarchiv (The Puddle Archive) is a long-term project of Mirja Busch, an artist based in Berlin. Over the course of more than a decade, Busch has dedicated herself to exploring puddles and experimented with diverse methods of archiving them. The culmination of this extensive effort is a 400-page book, presenting the photographic archive cultivated since 2010. Nearly 2000 puddles have undergone analysis, classification, and coding. Positioned between a monument and a snapshot, the book extends an invitation for contemplation, encouraging readers to linger and reflect on the often disregarded and overlooked phenomenon of puddles.