I had the privilege of traveling to Africa three times and capturing hundreds of photographs during my trips. For my project, “Spaced Out,” I carefully selected 50 images taken in 1992 and 1993 while exploring many East African countries, including Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Mozambique. These photographs were showcased at the Austrian Regional Bureau in Kampala, Uganda in 1994.

During my travels, I used a compact Olympus XA camera, which proved to be ideal for capturing unexpected moments and situations. Its small size allowed me to carry it in my pocket and use it discreetly. Despite traveling on a tight budget, I was able to visit remote and rarely-visited places, such as Chizumulu Island in Malawi, where local children were fascinated by my presence as a white person.

I traveled by foot, bus, train, boat, and even hitchhiked, meeting incredible people along the way who taught me unique perspectives on life. As someone on an overloaded pickup truck once told me, time in Africa is just a “Mzungu rumour,” and there is a sense that the system should have collapsed long ago. Yet, it somehow continues to function.

Throughout my journey, I encountered a lack of set rules and a sense of chaos and randomness woven into everyday life. But amidst the absurdity, there was also a profound sense of common sense and beauty in the vast open spaces of East Africa. My focus was on capturing the nostalgia and emotion of these moments and places, which were abundant throughout my travels in Africa.