LAYOVER (in progress)

Layover is a photography series by Mābu Nauendorff that documents the living spaces of international students in Germany. The project focuses on the everyday environments that reflect the experience of living temporarily in a foreign country. Each portrait shows how people adapt their surroundings, combining inherited items, belongings brought from home, and new purchases to create a sense of comfort and familiarity.

(3) 2025/11/07 - Ellie
from: Canada
arrival: 3 months ago
planned stay: 1 year

Ellie taped many photos and letters from loved ones on her wall. Most of the objects in the room, including the plants and furniture, do not belong to her. When asked about her hometown, she showed a book of landscape paintings by a local artist from Alberta. After the visit, she noticed a poster in her hallway that she had not seen during the three months she had lived there.

(2) 2025/10/24 - Anton
from: Wales (UK)
arrival: 2 months ago
planned stay: 2 months

Anton and his girlfriend found this normally expensive flat through a friend of a friend and are renting it for a low price. The apartment belongs to an elderly woman who did not want to handle it herself. Almost nothing in the space belongs to Anton. He described the designer armchair he is sitting on as the most uncomfortable chair he has ever used. One of the few items he brought is his Welsh bucket hat.

(1) 2025/10/15 - Ana
from: Mexico
arrival: 2 months ago
planned stay: 3.5 years

The pillow on the armchair was handmade and embroidered by Ana. She decorated the room with artworks and objects she brought from Mexico and placed her stuffed animals on the bed. During the visit, a second mattress was on the floor for a friend who was staying over.