I came across the before and after jogger series by the Hungarian-French photographer Sacha Goldberger a couple years ago. It struck a new chord due to the current lack of running in my life, which I could blame on the winter or upcoming deadlines or just laziness. It’s the abusive ecstasy that is running that transforms these mugs from their previous styled selves.

For the past few years Goldberger has been working on a few series with his 90-year-old grandmother Frederika. The story is that Goldberger found her depressed and proposed a fun photo shoot as antidote. It went over so wildly well that the duo has taken hundreds of photos, including such series as tourism with a chicken and Mamika as superhero. In the same way as running, pointless play engenders altered realities. Maybe I can just pick up play in these long winter months…