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Finalists of the 3. Online Portfolio Walk

The applications for the third season of the Online Portfolio Walk of the German Photographic Academy have made it clear that there is a new diversity in the stylistic orientations of contemporary photography. Belief in the objectivity of the medium is waning and a free space for a broad spectrum of conceptual and experimental working methods is developing. It was not easy for the jury to select only five positions from this wealth of subjective perceptions of our life-world that could give new impulses to contemporary artistic photography. That's why we have once again decided on 6 finalists.

The awarded photographers are: Alina Simmelbauer, Hannes Jung, Jörg Gläscher, Natalya Reznik, Sima Choubdarzadeh, Uwe Krella.

DFA press materials:

Alina Simmelbauer | García's Daughter

Alina Simmelbauer | García's Daughter

Jury member Ingo Taubhorn about the work: 'Alina Simmelbauer is a seeker. Daughter of an East German and a Cuban, whom she only met in 2011. She was 30 years young then. Since then she has been looking for people whose family history is similar to hers. These are the haunting color portraits of young men and women "who grew up behind a veil of secrecy; without fathers or the knowledge of their whereabouts. What had happened? In the 1970s and 1980s, the former GDR employed so-called migrant workers from its brother countries in Mozambique, Cuba, or Vietnam, who of course not only diligently pursued their daily work but also cultivated intensive relationships with the local population. Alina Simmelbauer was born in 1981 in the district town of Sömmerda in Thuringia, 20 kilometres north of Erfurt. After two years of intensive family life, the father had to leave the country. Her group of works "García's Daughter", however, wisely does not limit itself to portraits, but rather combines archive pictures, family photos, or memorabilia from that time with a sure instinct and mixes her own history with a phenomenon that has not really been processed to this day. Her artistic work does not accuse, does not seek a guilty party, but opens up life events to us as viewers, which sensitise us to the hidden stories, even if we can only guess at them in detail. Another work that is made up of different materials and which is convincing.' Simmelbauer about their work: 'About 190,000 migrant workers from Poland, Mozambique, Cuba, Vietnam and other countries studied or worked in the GDR, the socialist brother state, from 1962 to 1990. At the end of the contract period of about 4 years, the right of residence expired and the contract workers were sent back to their home countries. Friendships, relationships and families were separated. For many former contract workers, there is something that connects them with Germany to this day, apart from their own work history: their children. I myself am the daughter of a former contract worker who had been a guest in the GDR in the early 80s. But I only got to know him in 2011 in Cuba. Since then I have been looking for people whose family history is similar to mine. On this search I met numerous children who grew up behind a veil of secrecy; without fathers or knowledge of their whereabouts. In the photographic work 'García's Daughter' I let my own search for the father be followed by the process of artistic exploration. In addition to the shots of my search in a foreign country, I take up images from company and city archives and mix them with portraits of children who are grown up today. Thus, images enter into an exchange with each other and into a relationship with the oral narrative. Here, content and history are linked in the opposite direction.' Short bio: Alina Simmelbauer grew up in Thuringia, lives and works as a photographer in Berlin. In her free works she focuses on the examination of identity and family. She completed her master's degree in photography at Burg Giebichenstein Halle/Saale (2012) and at ISA Instituto Superior de Arte Havana, Cuba (2011). In 2020 she completed the master class at the Ostkreuzschule für Fotografie Berlin under the direction of Prof. Ute Mahler and Ingo Taubhorn. She was a DAAD scholarship holder for her series 'Wir träumen allein' (We dream alone) and in 2018 she received the project funding for her current work 'García's Daughter' of the Thuringian Cultural Foundation. In 2017 she was nominated for the Hellerau Photography Award and Vonovia Award. https://alinasimmelbauer.com/

Format:

Photo / Video

Credits
Title:
Simmelbauer_Garcías_Tochter_01
Author:
Alina Simmelbauer
Work:
Alina Simmelbauer | García's Daughter
Year Created:
2020
Copyright:
Alina Simmelbauer

Hannes Jung | Men don't cry

Hannes Jung | Men don't cry

Jury member Wolfgang Zurborn on ‘Men don't cry’: ‘People, places and objects appear in Hannes Jung's photographs in the highest physical presence and elude unambiguous interpretation in the fragile aesthetics of a fine-toned b/w photograph. The sequencing of the images does not follow a linear logic of time or place, but develops its own form of associative narration that sensitizes the viewer to the enigmatic in everyday life. For Jung, it is clear that the horror of sexualized violence such as the men portrayed in the series "Men don't cry" suffered during the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina in the 1990s cannot be depicted by photographic means. It is therefore far from his intention to cause a shock with his photographs. The special quality of his subtle approach to such a politically charged theme lies in the fact that he does not illustrate it, but develops a completely independent pictorial world that allows an emotional approach detached from a rational interpretation.’ Jung about his work: 'We don't look at people for what has happened to them in life. No place is automatically recognizable as the scene of the terrible. Objects, smells, tastes can seem normal to the general public - and remind some of catastrophes. During the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina in the 1990s, men of all nationalities became victims of sexualised violence. They were tortured and abused as prisoners in camps and prisons by soldiers and guards, and forced to commit sexualised violence among themselves. The aim was to humiliate and break them, to stigmatize them and their families. What happened to the men cannot be expressed in pictures. My work is an attempt to come to terms with their history and with places where there is not necessarily anything that points to their past.' Short bio: Hannes Jung (*1986 in Bremen, D) lives and works as a photographer in Berlin. He studied photography at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Munich, EASD Valencia and the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Hannover until 2016. His work has been shown at C/O Berlin, the Copenhagen Photo Festival and the Brandenburg State Museum of Modern Art, among others. https://www.hannesjung.com/

Format:

Photo / Video

Credits
Title:
mendontcry_hju001
Author:
Hannes Jung
Work:
Hannes Jung | Men don't cry
Year Created:
2020
Copyright:
Hannes Jung

Jörg Gläscher | C19/1-12

Jörg Gläscher | C19/1-12

Jury member Jürgen Scriba on 'C19/1-12': ‘Jörg Gläscher describes his photographic examination of COV19 as a personal poetic immunization strategy. Where researchers use a scanning electron microscope and polymerase chain reaction to detect the pathogen, the photographer uses a camera and flash light to trace the psychological consequences of the pandemic.’ The plan works out because the artist does not stop at the obvious symptoms of the crisis, but continues to draw a bow. Thus the barrier tape on playgrounds becomes an ominous installation. In crumpled disposable gloves, the viewer may recognize serial sculptures or alien life forms, and the branches torn out of the darkness of the forest by artificial light and fallen perspective certainly does not by chance bear a striking resemblance to anatomical preparations of lung tissue.’ Gläscher about his work: »It is about finding a fruitful, rather than fearful, way to deal with fear. It‘s about not allowing the fear to grow into the spirit of things, or unleashing the ghost of fear; it‘s about not allowing the fear to become neurotic; when that happens, the fear can become an instrument of populism. «* It started in the news. A flu-like virus had broken out far away. Corona virus SARS-CoV-2. I was standing in a town square on a sunny Monday morning. It should have been crowded. A bustle of people should have been rushing from A to B and then to C. Instead everything was empty. Not a single human being, just one pigeon. It was the first day of the week of the so-called „Corona Virus shutdown“. It didn‘t feel like that. It felt more like a normal sunny Sunday morning, when people sit in the park, walk along the seafront or watch a football match on TV. Instead all these activities were suddenly forbidden. What started as a small wave far away, is now rolling like a Tsunami over the entire world. Virologists are taking over, infection numbers are being quoted like stock market prices and fear is spreading. We seek out explanations in graphs, empty places and fear those without protective masks. But fear is not tangible. It cannot be photographed. Different pictures have to be taken, different comparisons are needed. C19/1-12 is a series of pictures that I have been working on over the past few weeks. They are my personal and »poetic immunisation strategy. «** Short Bio: Jörg Gläscher was born in Osnabrück in 1966. After an apprenticeship as a photographer in Hamburg, he studied photography with Timm Rautert at the Academy of Visual Arts in Leipzig. This was followed by many years of commissioned photography for Stern, Spiegel, Brigitte and GEO Saison. Since then he has been working on long-term documentary projects such as "Death comes later, perhaps" about German soldiers, "Echoland" about the struggle for Europe and "Lutherland" about the Christian faith in Germany. These works are exhibited nationally and internationally. The works shown here, C19/1-12 corona diary magazin, were created in the last 8 weeks and deal with own and general fears during the Corona 19 pandemic. He publishes a series of magazines, which he distributes on his own website. www.glaescher.de https://glaescherphotography.bigcartel.com

Format:

Photo / Video

Credits
Title:
C19-1-8_01
Author:
Jörg Gläscher
Work:
Jörg Gläscher | C19/1-12
Year Created:
2020
Copyright:
Jörg Gläscher

Natalya Reznik | The Old World

Natalya Reznik | The Old World

Jury member Ingo Taubhorn about the work: 'Natalya Reznik was born in the Russian Permian in 1982. She is an artist, photographer and author. She writes about photography and has a doctorate in cultural philosophy from St. Petersburg State University. Her work "The Old World" shows older women standing on their balconies, mostly outdoors, probably due to the security of their nearby apartment, but at the same time a step outside. The backgrounds show urban landscapes, only once a sea landscape with mountains. I once had an architect explain to me that there is no such thing as semi-public, only public or private. But Reznik creates an incredible intensity with her portraits, which are reminiscent of classic poses of Italian painting and could perhaps be called half-portrait of an elegant lady, blurring the balance between closeness and distance. She describes her motivation for photographing this series of portraits as follows: "I try to imagine what our society might look like in 30 or 50 years? We all know that older people hardly ever appear in our media landscape and if they do, in matters of poverty or illness, not so with Reznik. She celebrates with light, colour, pose and neckline, elegant women who do not hide their traces of an eventful life story and celebrate their present life with grace and pride. 'This project wants to find a new kind of beauty for the future', Reznik says. She has succeeded in this with flying colours, thanks to her empathy and clever use of photographic technology and thanks to these strong women.' Reznik about her work: 'I try to imagine what our society could be like in 30 or 50 years. The age of people today is the highest in history. Let's think about how people will live in 2050. We will probably encounter a completely different society, especially in Europe and Asia. We will be surrounded by older waiters, flight attendants, dancers and DJ's. No more young super models, but beautiful women with grey hair will smile at us from the advertising posters. Age is experiencing a new renaissance in art and culture as a reflection of our society. The older people in my project are on balconies, in the background of a city. Their classical poses remind us of Italian paintings. A balcony represents a special space between privacy and publicity, where one is still in one's private environment, but is also already free to look at other people. This project wants to find a new kind of beauty for the future.' Short biography: Natalya Reznik was born in Perm, Russia (1981) She studied design at the Perm State Technical University (Russia), then she wrote her doctoral thesis in philosophy at the Saint-Petersburg State University (Russia). Since 2011 she lives and works in Nuremberg/Germany. She participated in exhibitions in Moscow (Photobiennale), Saint-Petersburg (Photodepartament), NewYork (Parsons School of Design), Brazil (Fest Foto), Portugal (Festival Encontros da Imagem), Poland (Warsaw Photo Days), Greece (Athens Photofestival). Her photo books ("Secrets", "Looking for my father" and "Hope") have been exhibited at many exhibitions. 2017-2019 she was a student in the master class with Ingo Taubhorn and Prof. Ute Mahler at the Ostkreuzschule in Berlin. Natalya deals with topics such as family, age, memory and loss. In her works she combines documentary and conceptual strategies. www.natalyareznik.com

Format:

Photo / Video

Credits
Title:
Reznik_DieAlteWelt-1
Author:
Natalya Reznik
Work:
Natalya Reznik | The Old World
Year Created:
2020
Copyright:
Natalya Reznik

Sima Choubdarzadeh | My name is fear

Sima Choubdarzadeh | My name is fear

Jury member Ruth Stoltenberg on 'My name is fear': 'Fear runs the entire life of the now 33-year-old Iranian woman. All the many strokes of fate that have already befallen her in her deeply misogynistic, patriarchal homeland have left deep scars - on her body and especially on her soul. But Sima Choubdarzadeh fights against fear, studies philosophy and finally finds in photography a medium to better deal with her fears. She creates images of great sensitivity, images in subdued colors that whisper outside and scream inside, images that make violence, pain, and powerlessness palpable: in the depictions of women who have to hide permanently, the anxious look of a small boy, the cut-off bird claws, and the fire and fleeting smoke that symbolizes the photographer's groundlessness.' Choubdarzadeh about her work: 'I was seven years old when I got scared for the first time. I was getting back from school when my friend told me: “Did you know that if you reveal your hair out of your scarf, God will punish you by hanging you from it?” When I was 26, after all those fears and tragedies, I decided to stop saying my prayers and fearing God and Hell. One day my husband locked me up in the house to stop me from reading books, going to the university, seeing my family, and involving with society. It was the same day when an earthquake hit our city and I was locked up in a house on the 10th floor. The thing that I was most worried about was finding the safest place to stand on but at once I felt an empty space beneath my feet and now that is how I am afraid of people and events like quakes. However these fears have worn out and whenever they hit me, I take a step back and hide. Even not being scared comes from being scared. Within people’s silence and their eyes I can find fear. As if “fear” is the other name for me. I had not paid attention to the rules and traditions before my marriage, which ended up to a tragic divorce, shortly after. I was living in a swamp, alive but unaware. I was just like grass that had grown in a swamp, with no roots and identity. My whole identity was defined by my father’s name, my husband’s name, and my future unborn son. Unquestionably, these unjust laws have contributed tremendously toward violence and discriminations against women.' Short Bio: My name is Sima Choubdarzadeh. I am 33 years old from Iran. Master of art in philosophy I have been serious in photography since 2014 I have a photography certificate from provincial society artistic photography I have 3 group galleries I took first place of reward from Meshgin Shahr festival2016 I took grant from Sheed award in iran2017 Single picture selected by Cortona on the Move festival 2018. Published in Burn magazine with “My name is fear” project 2018. Publishing in the wall gallery with “My name is fear” project 2020. Publishing in the Matriz Woman Artists with “My name is fear” project 2020. https://www.facebook.com/sima.cz

Format:

Photo / Video

Credits
Title:
01
Author:
Sima Choubdarzadeh
Work:
Sima Choubdarzadeh | My name is fear
Year Created:
2020
Copyright:
Sima Choubdarzadeh

Uwe Krella | Homerun

Uwe Krella | Homerun

Jury member Andreas Langen on 'Homerun': 'Krella loves to make a noise, silent and often quite funny: garbage dumps and walkers, pensioners and natural stone cladding, couples and other building sites, colour surfaces and contrasting edges, decisive moments and nature morte, the latter made by chance. Uwe Krella condenses constellations that exist even without him, but it is only thanks to him that they take shape. One could call the photographer a stray, who uses the English word "strolling around" in his sparse self-declarations, i.e. walking, strolling, strolling, strolling, walking; almost also: lust walking. Lust for seeing is probably the primary fuel of this autodidactically grounded photographer, one can only imagine him as a happy person when he is on the move in this mode of perception. Nothing must, everything can. Keep it up!" Krella about his work: 'Surrogate He curates reality, compares it with his concept of reality. The surrogate view summarizes for me all the activities that are necessary to transform my ideas into images. The compositional and colourful overall impression of a picture before the mind begins to interpret it, the interface between reality and theatricality, where both touch each other. The point of intersection between before and after, frozen in the photograph, creates a new higher level of perception. The viewer takes part in a newly created reality. Reality takes place outside the human being, photography is used for appropriation of reality, but is not capable of this appropriation. Photography is always used to create subjective images. The surrogate gaze requires the exploration of the places of non-places. The centring of the secondary, the perception of the sublime. Photography is dance, the dance of the photographer. The dancer moves intuitively, each thought loses its beat. Follows the seeing; curiosity. Photography stops time. Reality is outside, controlled by perception. Lights, colours, looks: the other is manifested in the gaze. Triumph of seeing over the machine eye. The surrogate as proof.' Short bio: Uwe Krella born on April 17, 1965 in Nuremberg. Works full-time as a development engineer. In the year 2015 I began my serious engagement with the medium of photography. Autodidactic appropriation of the essential contents of the theory and history of photography. My special interest is the work of Walker Evans. Participation in various workshops and seminars, with the following topics: Reportage photography, portrait photography, artistic photography. Participation in competitions: Traver Paglen: The surveillance sites of the intelligence services in Ansbach-Katterbach and Gablingen documented. My works were shown in the context of the exhibition at FKV. Nuremberg Human Rights Center: Documentation of the NSU crime scenes in Nuremberg. Participation in the exhibition in Nuremberg and Berlin. Since 2018 I have been working part-time as a freelance photographer for the local editorial office of the Augsburger Allgemeine (Landbote).

Format:

Photo / Video

Credits
Title:
Homerun 16-25-1
Author:
Uwe Krella
Work:
Uwe Krella | Homerun
Year Created:
2020
Copyright:
Uwe Krella

published on:

2020-06-07