One of my interests is photography. I am an old-fashioned photographer and thus prefer film over digital cameras. I have a large collection of film cameras and make use of them. I love to develop black and white films. It is just a different world. Occasionally, I take pictures and produce promotional films using digital equipment.

I have a large collection of film cameras. The oldest camera dates to the 1920s. Most of the cameras, I have repaired and cleaned myself because it is almost impossible to find professionals these days. Fortunately, there are quite a lot of people out there sharing their knowledge on various websites. More importantly, one can still buy film at a reasonable price.

It is always exiting to develop film and make prints.

My interest in photography started as a teenager when my father got increasingly engaged in the art business. Although my father mostly worked together with local artists, such as the Austrian expressionist Franz Lettner and the visual artist and architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser, I also took great interest in the works of leading surrealists, such as Ray Man and Salvador Dali.

When Dali died in 1989, his works got the attention of a larger audience, and my father began to focus more on buying and selling Dali's works. It was at the time that my father introduced me to one of his friends - the Austrian surrealist Joshy Stieber - who had worked with Dali in Paris in the 1960s. I enjoyed listening to his stories regarding Dali's life as a surrealist artist. One day he showed me a picture of him together with Dali and other colleagues. The picture was taken in 1964 in the Royal Suite Alphonse XIII, Hotel Meurice, Paris.

I was immediately drawn by the picture for several reasons. First, through the picture and the presence of my father's friend I got connected to that particular moment in the past - the moment when he was with Dali in that historic location. Second, the concept of preserving time and emotions through photography added value and excitement to my teenage life. Third, the picture (or perhaps photography in general) contains a challenging dualism. That is, it reveals certain aspects of the past while making us aware of the possible existence of other details that are still hidden somewhere in the picture. Finally, there was the technical side of it - framing, lighting, focusing, etc. As to the latter, I possible just subconsciously grasped the technical aspect of the picture at the time - for it was much later that I learned about cameras and how to use them effectively.

The French Collection (2020)

The French Collection is a series of pictures I took in 2016/17 in Brittany, the French Riviera and Paris. It was at Gulu's House where the idea of travelling to France emerged. Inspired by its former chef, Grégory le Cloarec, Brittany became the first destination. The French Riviera was added soon to the travel itinerary to visit Rémi Legris, another member of Taichung's French community and former owner of Terroir Wine. On my way back to Austria, I made a brief stopover in Paris to capture further moments of inner peace with my fifty-year old film camera. I enjoyed walking down the Avenue des Champs-Élysées in the cold winter evening while passing by the historic Le Fouquet's on my way to the Eiffel Tower. Stayed at the top of the tower until close to midnight, reflecting on its history and magnificence. With this exhibition, the French Collection finishes where it started four years ago.

The exhibition opened on 24 December 2020 at the French Restaurant Gulu's House, Taichung, Taiwan.

Book in PDF 

A short description in PDF

Fragments - Opening Reception (2019)

On 4 May 2019, the opening reception of my first solo exhibition in Taiwan was held at Lei Gallery, Taichung. Twenty-two argyrotype and cyanotype prints were shown. The prints were part of a larger collection of photographies I published in my book Fragments.

Description Chinese/English in PDF 

A review by Taiwanese art critic Wu Chieh-Hsiang (PDF)

Fragments (2019)

Works included in the book illustrate fragments (artefacts) of historically accumulated illusions about recapturing the imaginary pre-social unity and its corresponding jouissance throughout time and space. Luxury skyscrapers and other tall constructions, such as churches and Ferris wheels, are part of the human desire for unity and jouissance. Such desires are also expressed in the fetishization of sexuality and the deification of the human body. Artistic or religious performances are other human attempts to reach pre-social conditions of unity. A further set of fragments of the human self exists in the preservation of social practices and heroic narratives to cope with the impossibility of reaching pre-social completeness.

The book was first published on the occasion of the exhibition Fragments in Lei Gallery (4 May 2019 - 31 May 2019).

ISBN 978-986-95719-1-3

Book in PDF 

Salzburg Biennale - Festival for New Music (2011)

The festival took place between 3 and 27 March 2011 in the city of Salzburg, Austria. As one of the official photographers of the Biennale, I had the opportunity to take pictures of the key events.

Jay Schwartz: Narcissus & Echo

Jay Schwartz' chamber opera Narcissus and Echo received its Austrian première at the Salzburg Biennale.

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Black on White - Heiner Goebbels

Musical theater based on texts by Edgar Allen Poe and Maurice Blanchot

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Integrationsball 2009 (Linz, Austria)

The Integrationsball, a colourful, unmistakable sign of diversity and tolerance, is one of the highpoints of Upper Austria's ball season. Along the lines of the event's’s motto "Nacht der Vielfalt" (Night of Diversity), successful integration and the peaceful coexistence of people from different backgrounds were at the centre of the festive ball.

That night I just carried a film camera (Contax G1 with 45mm 2.0 lens) and a few roles of KODAK TRI-X 400 with me, but still did not want to miss the oportunity to take a few shots. Wihtout any flash, I had to push the film two stops. I love the resulting pictures.  

Performing musicians: WIENER TSCHUSCHENKAPELLE

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Subway Ad Asia (2001)

In August and September 2000, I visited South Korea and Taiwan to interview several politicians and political analysts. During this time I always brought along my small APS camera, because I thought that there might be some opportunity to take some interesting photos, e.g. of famous politicians.

Every day I had to use the subway to get from one appointment to another. While waiting for the next train to arrive I usually looked at the various huge ads which could be found almost everwhere at the subway stations.

Several weeks later, I thought that I may organise an exhibition. The official opening took place on 27 March 2001 at the KunstRaum of the University of Linz (Austria).

A mirror site of the original exhibition website is available here.

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