About
This work portraits the great chef of this small apartment kitchen in Reisholz, Düsseldorf. It takes the form of a cookery book with recipes from Michael Vaysberg himself, and also those who he precedes—and a lot of documenting photographs of the processes and actual dishes. It is also a story of an incredibly thoughtful human being that has always been caring towards the people around him. Because of this, there exists someone who would love to give some of the kindness he has received back to where it came from.
Furthermore
Daniel Vaysberg, grandson of Michael Vaysberg, moved to Germany from Kharkiv, Ukraine when he was sixteen. Since the age of ten, however, he would visit his Grandparents—typically once a year in the three months of his summer holidays. When he arrived in Düsseldorf, he spent a lot of time roaming around with 1 his grandparents having coffee in cosy side streets or visiting parks, especially the aquarium where they often went together over the years. Daniel recalls the first years of being away from his parents and his friends felt debilitating at times. “I would wake up in the middle of the night and walk around, feeling that I might have left something behind in my hometown.” Skateboarding helped him to get in contact easily with locals in Germany and to make a lot of new friendships. Up until 2018, he lived with Michael and Olga Vaysberg in Düsseldorf and for him even in hard times it always felt like home. It was then that his grandmother passed away, leaving both men behind in the three-room apartment. From then on, Michael started to watch YouTube cooking tutorials during the days, trying to find new recipes. With in ear Bluetooth headphones and his then recently gifted smartphone, he would sit in his big Grandpa chair and listen to tutorials on his phone, Daniel says. After receiving all the necessary information, he would stand up, walk to the kitchen and start cooking. “A lot of times he wanted to surprise me with new dishes”, Daniel goes on. Olga and Michael had cooked a lot together before. “My Grandpa would always come up with new stuff and always tried to make me feel happy through his cooking.” When Daniel moved to Berlin in October 2020, he saw this situation in a whole new light; “You know, I have always felt blessed about every part of it, but since it had been the daily norm for years, the magnitude of him doing all this only became clear with a little distance.” Daniel started to document his grandfather when he got his first camera, but never for a purpose—more just to savour these moments for later. But upon moving out, Daniel started to photograph Michael Vaysberg more often, with more detail. For this photo book, they have been in contact almost all day. The grandson would ask his grandfather for missing recipes, who would then write them down in his notes app and send them via WhatsApp. All the recipes are presented just as Daniel’s grandfather wrote them down. This appears to be a far more personal work than we had first expected. How it ended up is a truly beautiful homage to a beautiful person who deserves nothing more than the best life has to offer. Thank you Michael for being the key part of this work and for having so much positive energy. And of course, for all the delicious dishes that you have put effort in to present them like a real chef. 2 Biography of Michael Vaysberg My name is Michael Vaysberg. I was born on 4th May 1937 in Ukraine, Kharkiv, a big industrial and educational city of the former Soviet Union and the first capital of Ukraine. In 1945, having returned from evacuation, I went to a boy’s school, which I graduated from in 1955. In the same year, I graduated from a technical school as a multi-skilled borer (i. e. able to work on metal-working machinery). Having worked at a factory for one year, I was called up to the army and taken on military service to Transbaikalia in repair motor transportation troops. When we started our studies, no one could cook in our subunit. That was the time when I started learning how to cook porridge with meat. I had known how to cook before, as my mother used to go on tours with the theatre. I had to cook something myself as I was hungry, following my mother’s and aunt’s example. My aunt used to work as a chef in a factory canteen during evacuation. When we moved to Germany, I had to spend much time with my grandson, Daniil Vaysberg. He turned out to be a big gourmet, so I had to study all ins and outs of cooking! I am a professional in Ukrainian and Russian cuisine. Thus, I can work as a cook or even as a chef. However, you need to take my age and health condition into account. I wish everyone delicious and healthy food, cooked with heart afire!
Michael Vaysberg’s cookery book (Russian: Кулинарная книга от Михаила Вайсберга)
- A4 Format (210 mm x 297 mm)
- 112 pages
- Hard cover (matte)
- 150g matte paper
- Pictures (colour), receipts, text (in English and Russian)
- Binding as thread stitching
- Bookmark ribbon
- Climate neutral printing
- Limited to 100 pieces (numbered) 3
2Live
Growing up in the streets of Kharkiv, especially in my area of Saltivka, or “the 607”, perspectives were limited. When you’re a young guy you were either wondering where to get the next beer or when to grab some cheap drugs from the pharmacy. Getting older you work one kind of job, retire, and sit on a park bench. That was not what I wanted for my own life.
Daniel Vaysberg was born in Kharkiv in 1996, moved to Düsseldorf when he was 15 and to Berlin in 2019. Many of his family members lived in Ukraine until recently. Since 2017, Daniel has been working as a self-taught photographer. He has already had various commissions from fashion labels and magazines. His artistic focus lies on scenes in the outskirts of big cities, the environments in which he grew up.
2Live is a limited edition of 111 handsigned copies.
120 Pages 26 x 20cm
Printed and bound in Berlin, Germany - 2022
© For the photos: Daniel Vaysberg
Text by Daniel Vaysberg
Coordination by Johannes Farfsing
Graphic Design by Adam Behlen and Valentin Jauch
Edited & translated by Lea Kloepel
Copy Edited by Jonathan Lyon
About
This work portraits the great chef of this small apartment kitchen in Reisholz, Düsseldorf. It takes the form of a cookery book with recipes from Michael Vaysberg himself, and also those who he precedes—and a lot of documenting photographs of the processes and actual dishes. It is also a story of an incredibly thoughtful human being that has always been caring towards the people around him. Because of this, there exists someone who would love to give some of the kindness he has received back to where it came from.
Furthermore
Daniel Vaysberg, grandson of Michael Vaysberg, moved to Germany from Kharkiv, Ukraine when he was sixteen. Since the age of ten, however, he would visit his Grandparents—typically once a year in the three months of his summer holidays. When he arrived in Düsseldorf, he spent a lot of time roaming around with 1 his grandparents having coffee in cosy side streets or visiting parks, especially the aquarium where they often went together over the years. Daniel recalls the first years of being away from his parents and his friends felt debilitating at times. “I would wake up in the middle of the night and walk around, feeling that I might have left something behind in my hometown.” Skateboarding helped him to get in contact easily with locals in Germany and to make a lot of new friendships. Up until 2018, he lived with Michael and Olga Vaysberg in Düsseldorf and for him even in hard times it always felt like home. It was then that his grandmother passed away, leaving both men behind in the three-room apartment. From then on, Michael started to watch YouTube cooking tutorials during the days, trying to find new recipes. With in ear Bluetooth headphones and his then recently gifted smartphone, he would sit in his big Grandpa chair and listen to tutorials on his phone, Daniel says. After receiving all the necessary information, he would stand up, walk to the kitchen and start cooking. “A lot of times he wanted to surprise me with new dishes”, Daniel goes on. Olga and Michael had cooked a lot together before. “My Grandpa would always come up with new stuff and always tried to make me feel happy through his cooking.” When Daniel moved to Berlin in October 2020, he saw this situation in a whole new light; “You know, I have always felt blessed about every part of it, but since it had been the daily norm for years, the magnitude of him doing all this only became clear with a little distance.” Daniel started to document his grandfather when he got his first camera, but never for a purpose—more just to savour these moments for later. But upon moving out, Daniel started to photograph Michael Vaysberg more often, with more detail. For this photo book, they have been in contact almost all day. The grandson would ask his grandfather for missing recipes, who would then write them down in his notes app and send them via WhatsApp. All the recipes are presented just as Daniel’s grandfather wrote them down. This appears to be a far more personal work than we had first expected. How it ended up is a truly beautiful homage to a beautiful person who deserves nothing more than the best life has to offer. Thank you Michael for being the key part of this work and for having so much positive energy. And of course, for all the delicious dishes that you have put effort in to present them like a real chef. 2 Biography of Michael Vaysberg My name is Michael Vaysberg. I was born on 4th May 1937 in Ukraine, Kharkiv, a big industrial and educational city of the former Soviet Union and the first capital of Ukraine. In 1945, having returned from evacuation, I went to a boy’s school, which I graduated from in 1955. In the same year, I graduated from a technical school as a multi-skilled borer (i. e. able to work on metal-working machinery). Having worked at a factory for one year, I was called up to the army and taken on military service to Transbaikalia in repair motor transportation troops. When we started our studies, no one could cook in our subunit. That was the time when I started learning how to cook porridge with meat. I had known how to cook before, as my mother used to go on tours with the theatre. I had to cook something myself as I was hungry, following my mother’s and aunt’s example. My aunt used to work as a chef in a factory canteen during evacuation. When we moved to Germany, I had to spend much time with my grandson, Daniil Vaysberg. He turned out to be a big gourmet, so I had to study all ins and outs of cooking! I am a professional in Ukrainian and Russian cuisine. Thus, I can work as a cook or even as a chef. However, you need to take my age and health condition into account. I wish everyone delicious and healthy food, cooked with heart afire!
Michael Vaysberg’s cookery book (Russian: Кулинарная книга от Михаила Вайсберга)
- A4 Format (210 mm x 297 mm)
- 112 pages
- Hard cover (matte)
- 150g matte paper
- Pictures (colour), receipts, text (in English and Russian)
- Binding as thread stitching
- Bookmark ribbon
- Climate neutral printing
- Limited to 100 pieces (numbered) 3
2Live
Growing up in the streets of Kharkiv, especially in my area of Saltivka, or “the 607”, perspectives were limited. When you’re a young guy you were either wondering where to get the next beer or when to grab some cheap drugs from the pharmacy. Getting older you work one kind of job, retire, and sit on a park bench. That was not what I wanted for my own life.
Daniel Vaysberg was born in Kharkiv in 1996, moved to Düsseldorf when he was 15 and to Berlin in 2019. Many of his family members lived in Ukraine until recently. Since 2017, Daniel has been working as a self-taught photographer. He has already had various commissions from fashion labels and magazines. His artistic focus lies on scenes in the outskirts of big cities, the environments in which he grew up.
2Live is a limited edition of 111 handsigned copies.
120 Pages 26 x 20cm
Printed and bound in Berlin, Germany - 2022
© For the photos: Daniel Vaysberg
Text by Daniel Vaysberg
Coordination by Johannes Farfsing
Graphic Design by Adam Behlen and Valentin Jauch
Edited & translated by Lea Kloepel
Copy Edited by Jonathan Lyon