Serenity with Rachel

“It is especially calmness and even fragility that I feel very strongly when in the Riyads of Marrakech, and which I wanted to capture when taking the photos of Rachel.”

“While born in Frankfurt, Germany, I spent a large part of my youth growing up in Northern Africa, especially Morocco.” begins Cyril Schirmbeck to tell about his background and motivation for those photos of model Rachel Samstag (who is with Le Management agency) that were taken at Riyad El Cadi, in the historic Marrakech Medina.

“Morocco is a country where especially busy, often messy and loud life in the public is often contrasted by private places of serenity, calm and retreat on the inside. This is especially visible in the Medina of Marrakech, which consists of a maze of bustling, narrow and even dirty alleys leading to secluded Riyads, which are beautiful secluded spaces that open up to courtyards. As a result, it is especially calmness and even fragility that I feel very strongly when in the Riyads of Marrakech, and which I wanted to capture when taking the photos of Rachel. The Riyad was revived by the former German Ambassador to Morocco and now managed by his daughter, whom I know and has given me the opportunity to shoot these photos there.”

One can certainly feel this special and calm atmosphere of those secluded places where the sunlight conjures beautiful patterns on the floor and walls.

“In the current situation, I also see this aspect in an even greater context, namely that of spending time on the inside – both spatially but also in self-reflection. The last two months have been such a time for myself, and I think for many others as well. When going through these photos from January, I find this emotion reflected in them. I feel that in this reflection also lies great opportunity and strength, that could lead us to a society that improves upon the ’normal’ we all experienced prior to this challenging time.”