Handabbeisser (Blog)

” … ‘Exactly,’ all the noblemen agreed, though they could see nothing, for there was nothing to see. “

[Excerpt from “The Emperor’s New Clothes” by Hans Christian Andersen, 1837]

Handabbeisser” (German for: “one who bites off hands“, from the term: ‘don’t bite the hand that feeds you‘) is a blog and functions as production diary, sketchbook/portfolio-notes, news page, with occasional interviews included.

It was started in 2012, originally to communicate with a group of homeless youth in Oregon during a collaborative long-term /long-distance interview /blind-photo project (“Each reflection of myself echoes a different emotion at me”).
It is deliberately written in casual language that every average person can understand and relate to, making an effort to avoid “art-lingo” that uses language as status symbol and to create diversion addressing intentionally exclusively a particularly educated audience or one that likes to appear as such. It has been since twice deleted for various reasons and occasionally restarted again.

ホテル Hotel – A Pizza and a Movie – Starfish is taking Molly on a date night

It’s Saturday night and after she’s done singing at Miyamoto’s Starfish is taking Molly out for a pizza and

ホテル Hotel – Making a buck: Molly at night out on the street modelling

I have to sometimes make some money, despite the commission I mean, because there are expenses to be covered that occasionally

ホテル Hotel – Starfish takes Molly dancing at the Cafe

With her first earned money Molly has bought a breathtaking creme coloured silk kimono with floral design. She wore it this t

MIYAMOTO’s AmateurPro Open Mic poster (2016)

ホテル Hotel – Molly is singing AmateurPro Night at Miyamoto’s

Molly and Starfish pretty much spend the weekend in Molly’s room, the only exception being, as she had promised, singin

ホテル Hotel – eine romantische Nacht: Starfish is loosing his head over Molly and Molly keeps her shoes on – Vol. II

I said it already at the end of last post and I am not kidding: IF YOU ARE UNDER THE AGE OF 17 go into the kitchen and help mo

ホテル Hotel – eine romantische Nacht: Molly is buying stage shoes and Starfish is loosing his head over Molly – Vol. I

Friday afternoon once again we assembled in Molly’s room, “we” in this case are: Molly, Starfish (of course

ホテル Hotel – Molly is singing Berto Wilcox at MIYAMOTO’s

Yesterday Molly slept through til early evening, jet lag, I guess, but eventually came back to life, and so we decided to take

ホテル Hotel – Molly arrives and an excursion to the Ofenloch Bar

Wow, finally the wonderful Molly, Billy’s mysterious pen-pal, has arrived. She came early this afternoon. Only Starfish

ホテル Hotel – making of Molly – Vol. VI

Molly’s second left hand seems to have no issues, although it is a simpler version than the first edition. Today she got

ホテル Hotel – making of Molly – Vol. V – Molly is driving me crazy

Molly is driving me crazy… but I guess it’s all my own fault and there’s nothing to be done but re-doing thi

ホテル Hotel – making of Molly – Vol. IV

Painting of Molly: Josiane Keller “painting Molly” (2016) Josiane Keller “painting Molly 2” (2016) Jos

ホテル Hotel – making of Molly – Vol. III

Finally Molly is complete, all s/he has to do now is dry and be fired and be decorated and re-fired and get wired and dressed

ホテル Hotel – making of Molly – Vol. II

Today Molly’s legs; as you see, Molly has a triple part torso for added mobility, most of the other puppets I made so f

ホテル Hotel – making of Molly

Making of Molly, Billy’s friend. Molly, like Billy, has a movable jaw for added expressiveness (or so I am hoping for at

ホテル Hotel – a car accident during the storm

Some heavy storms have been ripping out all the old trees and some not that old ones, electricity is out at many places and so

ホテル Hotel – Molly’s letter to Billy

Oh dear. When it rains it pours. Whilst Starfish is recovering, popping IBUPROFEN against the pain in his shot leg, today a le

ホテル Hotel – the last part of the trip with Sebastiao Com’Sal and Starfish got shot in the leg

We stayed the remaining days in various parts of the jungle, which was exhausting and magnificent. The area is very rocky and

ホテル Hotel – more globetropper pics with Sebastiao Com’Sal

As the title states. We left the ridge and moved through a mountainous area with creeks, waterfalls and lakes. A lot of climbi

ホテル Hotel – Sebastiao Com’Sal’s proposal and a wild trip to the ridge

If you have not heard of me in a while there is a reason, I am on a crazy wild trip, partially in places without a good, or an

ホテル Hotel – the photographer Sebastiao Com’Sal and his camera and more of his work

Sebastiao is now fully rested and graciously showing me (big interest of mine!) his camera equipment. I was wrong with my earl

Brief Interlude – WANTED: Volkswagen Beetle Toy Cars!

Besides the daily horrors of politics… dear friends worldwide: for an up-coming project I am LOOKING FOR: Volkswagen Bee

ホテル Hotel – the photographer Sebastiao Com’Sal arrives and a project on “workers”

The photographer has finally arrived, he is from South America, but spends a lot of time in Europe and then travelling on assi

ホテル Hotel – making of the photographer II

Making of the photographer: Josiane Keller “the photographer 2” (2016) …who is currently still in recovery f

ホテル Hotel – ChoCho with a hangover

Today by lunchtime ChoCho was up again making coffee and looked like a freshly peeled egg, proper, clean, perfumed, perfect. O

ホテル Hotel – ChoCho gets drunk

The mood certainly is DOWN since Billy’s cremation. I guess up until then it was too hectic getting everything arranged

ホテル Hotel – Billy’s funeral – Vol. II

After Larry walked off Chiaki came, she hadn’t been very close with Billy as far as I know, but then again, with this s

ホテル Hotel – Billy’s funeral – Vol. I

Yesterday was Billy’s funeral. Vincent asked me, if I would mind taking a few photographs as memories. (I gladly agreed

ホテル Hotel – funeral preparations: the Austrians are coming! Making a hotel reservation for Billy’s family

Friday will be Billy’s funeral, which is sad enough. Apparently, finally, Billy’s glorious family decided after al

ホテル Hotel – a box of photos of Billy in pink kimono, Tant Loisi’s Viennese dress, Mama’s Nachthemd and Aztec feather crown

The clean-up process of Billy’s room has been more involving than expected. First of all, he had a lot of stuff, and th

ホテル Hotel – “I am much braver now. In the past I would have staid.” – an unsent letter from Billy

Whilst Vincent is ordering a coffin for Billy and please do not ask me how it’s gonna be paid for, I haven’t got a

ホテル Hotel – Billy’s obituary

Billy’s obituary is ready for the paper, it turns out only Vincent knew Billy’s full legal name (which is “F

ホテル Hotel – Billy is dead

This morning we got a call from the hospital that last night at 3:47 am Billy died. I am really, really sorry. Josiane Keller

ホテル Hotel – Billy in a critical condition, a bizarre phone call to his parents and P.J. Harvey “Is that all there is?”

I had gotten home late last night, or this morning rather. Not much party. We called the hospital this morning. Billy had got

ホテル Hotel – A sad 4th of July visiting Billy in the hospital

It’s 4th of July and Billy is in the hospital. He is not doing well at all. He had a ruptured stomach and serious pain,

ホテル Hotel – Austrian re-vote, Billy is told to go back to his country and Billy’s eating binge

It never stops, does it? So, yesterday Billy found out that the recent Austrian vote only barely in favour of a liberal candid

‘Absurdity of Life’ after historical vote: Jan Švankmajer “Byt /TheFlat” (1968)

Absurdity of life has been celebrated by many genius artists (who may have done so mainly to save themselves from drowning in

ホテル Hotel – making of the photographer

Working on the head of the photographer: Josiane Keller “the photographer” (2016)

ホテル Hotel – One-week-after-Memorial Evening for the Orlando Shooting

Last night there was a memorial event in the lounge for the Orlando shooting and everyone was there. It was pretty bad, becaus

ホテル Hotel – a ghost in the bathroom

Vincent is swearing because the faucets he had ordered (and paid) did not arrive on the expected day, which is anyways too lat