Doppelte Okonomien (Double Bound Economies) presents a selection of photographs centred on the archives of commercial photographer Reinhard Mende, who was based in the GDR from the 1960s to the 1980s. Mende photographed the Leipzig Trade Fair and the showcase of socialist industrial products for visitors from Western countries. The book’s title refers to the doubling of capitalist and socialist economies, suggesting how we may come to approach this unique body of work today. Photographs are displayed in an index-like layout, exploring the recent history of the GDR, depicting booth views and product close-ups, along with the manufacturing techniques of people-owned enterprises. Yet it is the people, especially workers, who play a more prominent role here than the commodities Mende was commissioned to photograph. The book includes a number of essays and artistic contributions from Armin Luke, Olaf Nicolai and KP Brehmer among others. Published by Spector Books (Leipzig).