“In the beginning was not the word, but an image. And then another. And another and another. That’s how it began: Pascal Haas started photographing Berlin-based actors. The first photographs were taken in 2021; the last, for the time being, in 2023. It was a peculiar time, during which many things — not just the mood on Berlin’s streets or in its parks — were different. This is evident in the images: the observer and the observed became close, the latter revealing their approachable side, far removed from played parts or practised poses. Each one of these analogue black-and-white portraits is completely unique, yet they share something. They all show the passing of the seasons. In some, the sun is high in the sky, while in others the shadows fall long. Some of the photographs were taken in the winter, in the snow or ice. A couple of pages later, the trees are in bloom again. Everything is in flux; it all seems playful and easy. Often, this lightness can prove the most difficult thing. In acting, probably the most challenging part is making the transitions visible: reactions to emotional events, to surprises big or small. When playing a part, authenticity, precision, and presence are key, but at the same time, nothing should appear forced or artificial. Those who prepare well are at an advantage, but their preparation shouldn’t be obvious. This is the only way to create convincing characters, the only way to bring a play to life.” (Excerpt from Beyond the Play by Josef Grübl, published in Character Arc, Kerber Verlag, 2023)

Character Arc is a documentary portrait series on actors. The photographs, taken between 2021 and 2023, depict the actors personally, in the park or on the street—outside of their roles, away from the stage and the set. The serene black-and-white analogue portraits show the artists as approachable, free from any artifice. In this way, the images reveal both their strength and their vulnerability, reflecting the uncertainties of the modern age.

Pascal Haas was born in Luxembourg. He is a photographer and art director based in Berlin. He studied Visual Communication at the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Visuels de la Cambre in Brussels and the Berlin University of the Arts. His photographic practice focuses on people and places: analogue documentary portraits shot in public spaces, capturing the person in their natural state. His medium format portraits won a special mention in the Opus Fotopreis 2015. He was a nominee for the 2019 edition of the Lët’z Arles exhibition at Les Rencontres de la Photographie d’Arles. In 2019, he published his first photobook Tel–Avivis. Photographs from that series have been shown in several group exhibitions in Argentina, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain and Luxembourg. In autumn 2023, he published his second book, Character Arc with Kerber Verlag, and participated in Paris Photo in November 2023.