Michael Ackerman, Smoke, 2023

A tribute to Benjamin, singer, poet, symbol and protagonist of the underground scene, and to Cabbageton, a poor neighbourhood in Atlanta. Conceived as a scrapbook, it combines Ackerman’s photographs, pages of Benjamin’s notes and archive documents, texts by Jem Cohen (who dedicated a beautiful documentary to Benjamin) and Patti Smith – who was close to him. A very special book that manages to reveal the infinite grace, urgency, delicacy and frenzy of a man and a musical and cultural scene that we do not want to forget.

I remember my first time at Benjamin’s house, my first time in Atlanta. It was late at night, after a Smoke concert. He was in the room with some friends, talking, laughing, smoking. I barely knew him. I still don’t understand why he had invited me. He was brilliant, charismatic, funny and tender. I sat in a corner, amazed and intimidated, and remained silent. Maybe I took some pictures, maybe not. Around 4 a.m. I fell asleep on the floor in another room. A few hours later, I woke up, looked into his room and saw him asleep, also on the floor in front of his bed. Today, 27 years later, I try to remember what it felt like to see him there, so fragile. I took a photo at that moment, picked him up and carried him to his bed, then went out into the daylight to discover Cabbagetown.

-Michael Ackerman