Outdoor
A leading figure on the art scene, Andreas Gursky is renowned for his monumental digitally edited photos depicting the globalisation of society, and its geopolitical, technological, and ecological challenges. Thirty years ago, he focused his lens on Switzerland’s Aletsch Glacier. An immense 23 km long, and over 4000 m at its highest elevation, the largest glacier in the Alps is one of the natural monuments of Swiss national heritage. It is a focal point for scientific research and emblematic of the problem of glacial melting. The German photographer Andreas Gursky took the photo Aletsch Glacier with an analogue camera, on site in 1993. Andreas Gursky created a breathtaking picture that, thirty years on, remains as relevant as ever. It has become an icon of the global issue of climate change.
As part of the Aletsch Glacier installation, presented at the Biennale Images Vevey, Andreas Gursky had the idea of returning to this glacier. On 8 August 2024, he took another photo of this beautiful setting thirty-one years after his first photograph. The artist intentionally chose the same viewpoint and used a digital camera to create an image using his usual techniques. Entitled Aletsch Glacier II, 2024, this previously unseen work confronts the older iconic photograph, revealing the evolution of this ancient glacier
Exhibition layout and design by Images Vevey and the artist
The installation is presented as part of the partnership between Images Vevey and Regarder le glacier s’en aller (Watching the Glacier Disappear), a national collective exhibition from 29 June to 29 September 2024.
