Swiss Photobooks from 1927 to the Present
dal 20/10/2011 al 18/2/2012
Segnalato da
20/10/2011
Swiss Photobooks from 1927 to the Present
Fotostiftung Schweiz, Winterthur
A Different History of Photography. A fresh view of Swiss photography - a tour d'horizon covering a range of illuminating photobooks in which not only the great themes of photography are reflected but also the development of photographic styles and modes of expression.
The Swiss Foundation for Photography (Fotostiftung Schweiz) is marking its fortieth anniversary by presenting a fresh view of Swiss photography - a tour d'horizon covering a range of illuminating photobooks in which not only the great themes of photography are reflected but also the development of photographic styles and modes of expression. Since the late 1920s the book has repeatedly proved itself to be an ideal platform for the presentation of photographic works. Books have not only contributed to the dissemination and transmission of photography but also facilitated the integration of the individual image into a meaningful context.
In the history of photography the photobook plays a major role not only in publicising photographs, but also as an independent means of expression. The significance of many photographers' works only emerges when presented in book form, in the coherent sequence or series of images. Content, design and printing quality combine to produce an intricate architectural whole.
This jubilee exhibition marking the 40th anniversary of the Fotostiftung Schweiz focuses on a selection of photobooks that have influenced photography in Switzerland since the late 1920s. At that time, technical advances made the reproduction of top quality photographic images possible and promptly gave rise to a first boom in illustrated books that placed greater emphasis on the photographs than on the texts. Since then, Swiss photobooks have continued to develop in various directions and have repeatedly attracted considerable attention at international level as well.
With the help of seven thematic areas - homeland, portraiture, mountain photography, the world of work, aerial photography, contemporary history, travel - this exhibition aims at a kind of typology of the Swiss photobook which draws attention to the potential interplay between book and photograph, while also revealing the extent to which modes of expression have altered over the course of time. Concise excerpts from these books exhibited on the walls highlight the basic principle of each photobook - a photograph positioned on a double page still remains an integral part of a larger sequence. The concept, design and reception of photobooks are examined more closely in display cases. A large wall installation is devoted to photobook covers. The photobook is also presented as an object in film form: "reading" illustrated photography books is not just an intellectual but also a sensual act.
The Publication
The exhibition by the Swiss Foundation for Photography is based on an extensive research project in which hundreds, in part long-forgotten photobooks were brought together and critically examined.
The selection of works resulting from this process forms the backbone of this new history of Swiss photography, which is also being published as a book. The publication presents the individual works with extensive picture spreads and texts by 23 authors - a chronological reference work that also traces the process that has seen the photograph change from a document into a means of subjective and artistic expression.
"Swiss Photobooks form 1927 to the present - A Different History of Photography", ed. by Peter Pfrunder / Fotostiftung Schweiz. Lars Müller Publishers, Baden. 640 pages, 700 illustrations (German, with English and French translations).
Photobooks at www.fotostiftung.ch
Recently a new section has been added to the fully-overhauled www.fotostiftung.ch website, "Fotobücher" - under which a constantly growing number of outstanding Swiss publications can be accessed.To mark the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the Fotostiftung Schweiz, this website will also be offering a survey of all the foundation's exhibitions since 1974, and of all the posters ever issued by the Fotostiftung. Furthermore, in collaboration with the picture archive of the ETH library, a new image database is being compiled where the extensive holdings in the collection of the Fotostiftung Schweiz can be viewed online and searched according to certain criteria (to be uploaded around May 2012).
Credits
The book and the exhibition "Swiss Photobooks from 1927 to the Present" are supported by the Federal Office of Culture, Migros-Kulturprozent, george foundation, Kaspar Fleischmann, AVINA STIFTUNG, Georg und Bertha Schwyzer-Winiker-Stiftung, Ernst Göhner Stiftung, Stadt Winterthur, UBS Kulturstiftung, Spendenstiftung Bank Vontobel, Otto Gamma-Stiftung, Georges und Jenny Bloch-Stiftung, Friends of the Fotostiftung Schweiz, Erco Lighting AG, The Image Factory.
Image: Jakob Tuggener: Fabrik, Rotapfel Verlag, Erlenbach-Zurich 1943
Opening: 21 October 2011 - 18
Fotostiftung Schweiz
Grüzenstrasse 45 8400 Winterthur
Opening Hours: Tues-Sun 11 am - 6 pm, Wed 11 am - 8 pm. Closed on Mondays