Wall of Death: Motodrom

A photographic tribute to the gutsy motorcyclists who ride with the traveling motodrome.

The Original Motodrom, operated by Donald Ganslmeier, is a traveling wall of death, with shows that combine extreme sports with circus-like spectacle. Gansleimer and his colleagues seem to defy the laws of physics as they whip ever higher around the track on their motorcycles. Today, they are among the last of their kind, and their art is threatened with extinction.

The photographer Florian Holzherr has created a powerful memorial to their action-packed life. For several years, Holzherr accompanied the daredevil motorcyclists as they set up the wall of death, rode it, and dismantled it again as part of their lives on the road. The resulting black-and-white images reveal the craft, passion, and risks posed to these extraordinary performers.

Florian Holzherr lives and works in Munich as a photographer.