Boris Leist – LARP

Warriors of Chaos, orcs, dwarfs, gunfighters, streetwalkers, zombies, mutants, Soldiers of the Apocalypse and vampires – in his photobook LARP, the Duesseldorf-based photographer Boris Leist transports us into the world of Live Action Role Playing. The players in this book create characters, which, ideally, have the power to blend out the modern world and one’s own social surroundings. Liberated from customary structures, rules and conditions, they immerse themselves and move about in an alien world. The integration of facets of their own real personalities often plays a great role and ensures that many characters are highly authentic. Several characters accompany the players for many years and thus co-evolve together. After nearly four years, the photographer describes his work on this project as an “impressive journey through time and space”. The photographs give each character the space he or she needs to develop. The fantasy and creativity of the players are the prime focus here, and one is simultaneously invited to embark on an intensive, fantastical and at times monstrous journey.