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Tattooed limbs tangled together in bedsheets, anonymous couples kissing on the dance floor, partially nude bodies bent in different shapes across living room furniture. These are just a few of the scenarios included within Intertwined<\/i>: the latest photobook from the Greek, Berlin-based photographer Spyros Rennt. Reflecting on themes of queer intimacy and interconnectedness, the project, as Rennt explains, depicts “bodies, emotions, and moments overlapping and blending into each other\u201d.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n A departure from the image-maker\u2019s more explicitly erotic work, the project explores bonds of friendship and understanding that permeate the queer community. There\u2019s also an implicit sense of trust and mutual respect between Rennt and his subjects, with the photographer\u2019s honest gaze gently surveying his subjects in their most vulnerable moments \u2014 as they embrace a lover or regard the camera in various stats of undress.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Below, the photographer discusses this latest photo project, his experiences of Berlin queer culture, and the commercialisation of nightlife across the past decade.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/em><\/p> The title\u00a0Intertwined<\/i> felt right because the book is all about connection \u2013 bodies, emotions, and moments overlapping and blending into each other. My work has always been about intimacy, and with this book, I wanted to emphasise how relationships, friendships, and fleeting encounters all weave together to create something bigger. There\u2019s also a strong physical aspect \u2013 I love shooting people in a way that their bodies merge, forming weird, almost sculptural shapes. That visual entanglement speaks directly to the title.<\/p>\n But beyond the physical,\u00a0Intertwined<\/i> also reflects something deeper: the way queer lives are inherently connected. Our fates, especially within our chosen family, are tied together \u2013 we support, shape, and carry each other through life. This sense of interdependence is something I feel deeply, and the book is a way of capturing that.<\/p>\n This book really reflects the mood and vibe I was in while creating it \u2013 I wanted to curate something that felt moody, even melancholic. That\u2019s why it\u2019s not as erotically charged as some of my previous work. I think it also shows a kind of evolution, maybe even maturity, in the way I approach intimacy. But that doesn\u2019t mean I\u2019ve left the erotic aspect behind \u2013 just that, for now, I was drawn to a different kind of emotional depth. Who knows what\u2019s next?<\/p>\n The people I photograph are either my friends or individuals who trust me and my vision. I don\u2019t just walk into strangers\u2019 bedrooms and start shooting intimate moments \u2013 there\u2019s always a foundation of trust first. That makes all the difference. Once that connection is there, the process feels natural, collaborative, and organic rather than voyeuristic. It\u2019s about capturing something real, not just observing from the outside.<\/p>\n \"I don\u2019t just walk into strangers\u2019 bedrooms and start shooting intimate moments \u2013\u00a0there\u2019s always a foundation of trust first\"<\/p>\n<\/blockquote> For me, it\u2019s more important to document the action rather than the individual \u2013 I don\u2019t approach my work in a gossipy way. Focusing on bodies rather than faces shifts the attention to the feeling, the movement, the energy of the moment. Plus, anonymity makes the work more relatable and accessible \u2013 viewers can see themselves in the images, rather than feeling like they\u2019re just looking at someone else\u2019s life.<\/p>\n A lot of people associate my work with nightlife documentation, especially from my early years when I was constantly taking photos while going out. I don\u2019t do it as much anymore, but I still love that kind of photography, and I\u2019m really happy I captured those moments when I did. There\u2019s something special about photographing people when they\u2019re out \u2013 everyone is looking their best, feeling good, and fully present in the moment.<\/p>\n Nightlife also played a huge role in my personal connections \u2013 I met some of my best friends that way, and photography was a big part of bringing me closer to people. Beyond that, I\u2019ve always felt connected to the underground and subcultural side of nightlife, which is where so much creativity, freedom, and self-expression thrive.<\/p>\n Talking about Berlin, where I\u2019ve been based since 2011, I\u2019d say the biggest change is that nightlife has gotten more expensive. I remember paying 6 euros for a 24-hour party back then, now it\u2019s 20+ euros. That shift isn\u2019t just about ticket prices; it reflects a broader change in the city.<\/p>\n I also feel like I meet fewer interesting people now. Back in the day, Berlin was full of these wild, unpredictable characters who were just existing, creating, and thriving without being tied down by conventional work structures. But with the rising cost of living, people need stable jobs just to afford to be here, which inevitably affects the kind of crowd you find in nightlife. There\u2019s still amazing energy, but it\u2019s different.<\/p>\n Moving to Berlin played a huge role in shaping my life, both as a person and as an artist. Honestly, I don\u2019t think I would have become a photographer if I hadn\u2019t been here. Berlin showed me that a completely different way of life is possible \u2013 where creativity can flow freely and without many of the restrictions you find elsewhere.<\/p>\n How I became a photographer was pretty organic: I knew I wanted to do something creative, and I also knew that the community and experiences I was having \u2013 whether at parties, on the streets, or in quieter moments \u2013 were so interesting and real. So, I just started documenting it. If I\u2019d been in another city, I\u2019m not sure I would have had that same drive or sense of urgency to capture what I was experiencing. Berlin really opened up that possibility for me.<\/p>\n I definitely look up to and cherish the work of the great artists who came before me, like Nan Goldin, Wolfgang Tillmans, Ryan McGinley, and Walter Pfeiffer. Their work has been incredibly inspiring, not just in terms of the images they created, but in how they shaped a visual language for queer life and intimacy. It would be an honour to be following in those legacies, and I absolutely strive for it in my own work. At the same time, I hope to add something unique to the conversation and continue pushing the boundaries of how we see and represent queer experiences.<\/p>\n The photographer discusses ‘Intertwined’: their latest photobook meditating on queer interconnectedness and community. IMAGES SYPROS RENNT Tattooed limbs tangled together in bedsheets, anonymous couples kissing on the dance floor, partially\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7364,"featured_media":1427987,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"templates\/feature.php","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21108],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n![](\"https:\/\/www.gaytimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Credit_-Spyros-Rennt_07-2-scaled.jpeg\")
<\/p>![](\"https:\/\/www.gaytimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Credit_-Spyros-Rennt_58b-scaled.jpg\")
<\/p>First thing’s first, why did you decide to call this book Intertwined<\/em>?<\/h4>\n
This latest phonebook serves as a departure from some of your more erotically charged work \u2013 how has this project evolved your perception and understanding of intimacy?<\/h4>\n
Your work captures moments of closeness, hedonism and intimacy between individuals, how do you capture these moments without veering into voyeurism?<\/h4>\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.gaytimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Credit_-Spyros-Rennt_57-scaled.jpg\")
<\/p>Many of your images toy with ideas of anonymity, capturing bodies rather than faces. What is the thinking behind this creative decision?<\/h4>\n
Your work is often associated with the dance floor \u2013 what is your relationship to nightlife and how does it inspire your work?<\/h4>\n
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<\/p>How do you think nightlife has changed since you first starting taking photos from the frontline of queer nightlife?<\/h4>\n
Berlin figures as something of an omnipresent character in your photography to date. What does the city mean to you, as a person and as an artist?<\/h4>\n
Lastly, as a queer photographer, how do you think your work fits into a lineage of LGBTQIA+ image-making?<\/h4>\n
Order Intertwined here<\/a>.\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/h5>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"