Bettina Johae received her MA in Architecture from the Technische Universität Berlin and her MA in Studio Art from New York University. Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, including at the Bronx Museum of the Arts, the International Center of Photography, and the Aljira Center for Contemporary Art. She has also curated several photography and video art exhibitions.

“In my work, I aim to challenge common perceptions about cities by highlighting the friction between adjacent areas, by exposing overlooked views and documenting changes in one place over time. I record and translate my experiences of different urban environments and offset these personal inspirations against common prejudices or standardized perceptions of cities.”

- Bettina Johae

To view borough edges online, click here.

In borough edges, nyc, Johae presents uncommon views of New York, which she photographed while bicycling along the waterfront and borders of each of the five boroughs as a way of “remapping” the supposedly well-known city. The resulting archive of digital images is seemingly incongruous with the New York City of famous streets and monuments. The physical route she followed to complete the project also resulted in a new map, with reconfigured borders based upon public access and physical accessibility along the perimeters of each borough. In this way, the project functions as a literal manifestation of public space that is simultaneously familiar and unsettling.