Diagnosed with epilepsy from the age of five, Helmut Nimczewski was raised by his mother and placed in specialized institutions in view of his developmental delay. He showed “a fondness for collection and repetition.” After a long stay in a psychiatric hospital, he now lives in Hamburg. Obssessive, distant and reserved, also very pious, he is fascinated by the crowds. With his Polaroid he photographs both new objects that appear in his environment as well as the city harbour and other architectural elements which he completely rearranges in his drawings. Nimczewski works without sketches; he needs weeks to draw stadiums, fairgrounds and Olympic pools. His works always include the beginning and the end date of the drawing and he surrounds himself with a large collection of coloured pencils.