Christian
Christian performs as a drag artist under the name Fanny Funtastic in Hamburg's St. Pauli district. The work focuses not on the stage as an event, but on the person behind it and the environment in which his everyday life takes place.
The images provide insight into a scene that is usually only visible in a highly staged form. Away from performances and “neighborhood tours,” living spaces become visible, paths through St. Pauli, preparation, waiting, and spending time together.
Drag does not appear here as an exceptional state, but as part of a multi-layered life that moves between work, friendships, and public presence.
The result is a restrained, sensitive photographic portrait that allows closeness without explaining or evaluating. It tells of different ways of life, of roles that coexist, and of the question of what becomes visible when the facade of the show recedes into the background.
Christian works full-time at a palliative care service. He applied for the position as management assistant during the coronavirus pandemic after lockdowns ended his long-standing employment at the Schmidt Theater in Hamburg, where he discovered his passion for drag.
Christian rarely sees his husband Justin (right). He works in a life escape room, and due to overlapping working hours, the two usually only see each other in the evenings. Christian smiles as he talks about going to restaurants together on weekends. After work, he spends his time in the bars of St. Pauli with his neighbors, almost all of whom he also counts as friends.
One of the three rooms in his apartment is filled with clothes, coats, a dressing table, and wigs. The curtains are closed all year round. Applying makeup in summer is the worst, he explains. As soon as you start sweating, you basically have to start all over again.
With the blinds closed, a quick cigarette while the eyelash glue dries. Christian wants some peace and quiet for a little while. A moment of silence and relaxation in his apartment before the upcoming tourist tour.
View of the inner courtyard.
The closed curtain ensures that the neighbors don't know what's happening in the makeup room, locking them out of the warm world of glitter, makeup, and leather boots. Only through a small gap can you see the bare facade of the house opposite.
With breaks, the makeup application takes about an hour and a half. An hour and a half during which Christian becomes exceptionally calm. The otherwise very extroverted person, who is almost always on the go, sits quietly in front of his makeup mirror and “paints his face.”
On the way to the Olivia Jones Bar, where the neighborhood tours start, they don't look at people much. Fanny walks through the streets differently than Christian. Fanny seems almost more self-confident, although Christian cannot be accused of lacking self-confidence. Fanny seems proud.
Fanny has been giving neighborhood tours of St. Pauli for several years. The tours are organized by her colleague Olivia Jones, who no longer gives tourist tours herself. “Too dangerous for her,” says Fanny. “She'd probably need three security guards.” Fanny also always has a security guard with her. In recent years, verbal abuse and hostility have been on the rise.