Upfront : Neo Rauch and Michael Ballack for the ROLLING STONE, portraits for Hamburg's arty Gänge Quarter and colour photos made by Nordstern

For the previous two cover stories of ROLLING STONE, Dieter EIKELPOTH visited two renowned contemporary figures; Neo Rauch and Michael Ballack.

On his 50th birthday, the magazine presented famous painter and music fan Neo Rauch with the cover.

The artist thanked the publication with two exclusive cover variations and was photographed by Dieter Eikelpoth in his sanctum. Rauch’s studio provided a great setting for Eikelpoth’s intense work approach.

Dieter photographed World Cup misadventurer Michael Ballack in his current second hometown of London. The footballer was captured in a rare relaxed moment.

FYI: Dieter Eikelpoth’s new portfolio is ready and can now be requested from the agency.

Hamburg’s ‘Gänge’ quarter has long been a topic of heated debate. It now seems to be left over to the artists. Photographer Andrea KUEPPERS visited the artists in question to shoot portraits of them.

On 20 June, Hamburg’s car-free Sunday, 6 boards were erected in the city centre displaying Andrea’s documentary photo series of the Gänge quarter.

The 20 metres were adorned with the faces of the brave artists that had finally managed to get what they deserve: ‘more space for creativity’.

We have attached several images of Jeannette, Trichter, Judith, Kalyani and Ceyhun. Make-up artist Claudia Wegener and stylist Cathrin Sonntag supported Andrea Kueppers on the shoot.

The NORDSTERN STUDIO is famed for its many beautiful ideas, loving realisations and precise works. Their new ‘colour’ photos are in keeping with their legacy.

Markus, Tim and Philipp certainly had a lot of fun, which is evident in the making-of on their site www.nordstern-studio.de. The video features in their new ‘Freiraum’ (free space) section. Go see for yourselves!