When the Wiener Riesenrad casts its evening shadows on the Prater, a much smaller but maybe even more significant wheel comes to life: the Tagada. For decades, it has drawn crowds of teenagers looking for a way to escape and find a sense of belonging. Florian Rainer’s series, taken during the summer season of 2020, is a story about this centrifuge and its riders, the teenagers that form its family. The Tagada is a stage for those who want to shine and a meeting point for those with nowhere else to go. It is the only Prater ride that requires skill and physical effort – some learn to ride and some don’t. The riders understand the risks and accept the potential injuries as part of the experience. It is a place where youth, who very often lack other social backing, can gather, a room for transformation, where the shy become confident. The speed, sounds, lights, their friends and the audience allow them to forget their worries, and give them a space to grow up.

Florian Rainer, *1982 in Leoben, Austria; lives and works in Vienna.