The festive period is approaching and, for many, winter is starting to unfold. The season brings early sunsets, frosty mornings and sudden snowstorms, providing opportunities to appreciate the simple, yet often harsh, beauty of the landscape. Pieter Brueghel the Elder (1725-1569), Caspar David Friedrich (1774-1840), Claude Monet (1840-1926), Laurence Stephen Lowry (1887-1976) and Georgia O’Keeffe (1887-1986) are just a few famous painters who found inspiration in white mountain ridges, towering glaciers and wintry cityscapes. Now, these international photography shows follow the same theme.
Winter Interlude | Christophe Guye Gallery, Zurich | Until 9 December
Christophe Guye’s Winter Interlude invites viewers to consider an array of contemporary approaches to landscape. Amongst them is Rinko Kawauchi’s (b. 1972) snapshots of glaciers; frosty cameraworks by Risaku Suzuki (b. 1963); and Edward Burtynsky’s (b. 1955) seminal bird’s eye views of industrial interventions in nature. Elsewhere, Jung Lee’s (b. 1972) images show neon installations nestled amidst scenic views, and Simen Johan (b. 1973) presents altered compositions of frozen caribous. Elsewhere, Jule Spinatsch’s disorientating, multilayered pieces document snowy ski slopes and towering fir trees.
Winter Fairy Tale | Christine Knauber, Berlin | Until 15 February
Fairy tales, in some form or another, appear across all cultures, offering messages of morality and caution. In Europe, the Brothers Grimm have become a literary touchstone. Winter Fairy Tales showcases the work of 15 creative figures who are united by a love of classic childhood stories, wondrous moments and the simple magic of winter landscapes. These projects show forests coated in glittering frost and rivers and lakes frozen into ice. It’s a poetic show, and, besides camera works, viewers are invited to explore drawings, prints, paintings and paper cuttings. Shown above is a shot from Katerina Belkina’s Dream Walkers.
Jan Scheffler – 33 Light | Alfred Ehrhardt Stiftung, Berlin | From 13 January
For 20 years, German photographer Jan Scheffler (b. 1964) has been travelling to northern Europe – Iceland, Norway and Finland specifically – to capture its scenery. His images document the grandiosity of these locations, showing landscapes nearly untouched by mankind and illuminated by natural light. Scheffler’s square compositions are filled with abrupt shifts between foreground and background and a wide spectrum of colours. As the artist explains: “the aesthetic of this nature (…) is based on the absence of disharmony. There is nothing disturbing it. In this landscape you’re not searching for anything. It comes to you. I can set up the camera almost anywhere, the motif comes to me.”
The Winter Editions | Print Sales Gallery – The Photographers’ Gallery, London | Until 21 January
The Winter Editions is a new collection from The Photographer’s Gallery that celebrates the season. 12 artists interpret the theme in their distinctive styles, embarking on a visual journey from the vast expanse of the Siberian Arctic to the lush and mystical forests of Croatia. Besides the works of Alma Haser (b. 1989), Evgenia Arbugaeva (b. 1985) and Simon Roberts (b. 1971), the display showcases projects by Julie Cockburn (b. 1966), Jon Tonks (b. 1981) and Martina Lindqvist (b. 1981). These images stand devoid of human presence, echoing the serene stillness often associated with this time of the year. TPG’s show offers a space of calm, asking us to consider the world’s endless cyclical transformation. Trees shed their leaves and stand steadfast against the elements, patiently awaiting the arrival of spring. Located in the Print Sales Gallery, the display’s prints are available to purchase.
Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2023 | Natural History Museum, London, | Until 30 June
The Natural History Museum presents the most recent iteration of Wildlife Photographer of the Year, incorporating 100 extraordinary images that span the globe. Dr Doug Gurr, Director, said: “We are facing urgent biodiversity and climate crisis, and photography is a powerful catalyst for change. The Wildlife Photographer of the Year show reveals some of nature’s most wondrous sights whilst offering hope and achievable actions visitors can take to help protect the natural world.” This year, French marine biologist Laurent Ballesta was named winner of the competition with an otherworldly piece titled The golden horseshoe. Besides Ballesta’s underwater marvel, viewers can immerse themselves in untouched environments and vast open vistas, experience ethereal lights and meet rarely seen species.
Words: Fruzsina Vida
Image credits:
1. Jan Scheffler, B 67.941° L 13.090°, Lofoten / Norwegen 90 x 90 cm © Jan Scheffler
2. Jung Lee, Promise Me, 2018.
3. Jan Scheffler, B 68.074° L 13.131°, Lofoten / Norwegen 60 x 60 cm © Jan Scheffler
4. Katerina Belkina, Whisper, from the series: Dream Walkers, 2019.
5. Petrohan, Bulgaria, 2003 © Pentti Sammallahti. Courtesy of the artist and The Photographers’ Gallery
6. Audun Rikardsen, Aurora Jellies
