27 - 29 October 2023

Xavi Bou's ornithographies are created with the aim of capturing fleeting moments and questioning the limits of human perception. The images also reflect the Spanish photographer's great passion for birds. Within a single frame, the (invisible) movement patterns of flying birds are made visible. The project Ornithographies represents a synthesis of art and science. It is an exercise in visual poetry, and above all, an invitation to regard the world with the curious eyes of the children we once were.

At a very early age, Xavi Bou's passion for nature was awakened by his grandfather. This fascination inspired Xavi to study natural sciences at the University of Barcelona, where he graduated in geology in 2003. After obtaining a degree in photography in 2004, Xavi spent the next decade working for the advertising and fashion industry while teaching photography on the side. All the while, his love of nature remained. Inspired by his interest in the invisible patterns drawn by birds in flight, Xavi Bou began experimenting with ornithographies in 2012. As soon as his first ornithographies were made public in 2015, the images attracted the attention of the international press. Xavi Bou is now fully dedicated to this unique project.
www.xavibou.com

The Austrian Verein für Tier- und Naturfotografie Österreich (VTNÖ) was founded in 1989 by a group of committed nature photographers. Now 200 members strong, the association seeks to bring the beauty and uniqueness of natural landscapes into the public eye and to inspire enthusiasm for the wonders of the plant and animal world. The association's logo - the silhouette of the hoopoe sitting on an iris diaphragm – is a symbol for sophisticated nature photography and respect for nature.
VTNÖ is not only dedicated to the passion for photography, it also supports the tenets of nature conservation. Members are subject to a code of honour that is founded on respecting the welfare of endangered animals, plants and their habitats. In addition to regular regional meetings, the association organises an annual nature photography competition to identify the picture of the year and the nature photographer of the year among its members. Award-winning works are published in exhibitions, special interest journals and the magazine Natur.Fotografie.
The collection of photographs shown in Lünen presents the prize winners from the last several years as well as several notable entries.
www.vtnoe.at

Autumn and winter are Dieter Damschen's favourite seasons. He literally blossoms as the days get shorter and the temperatures drop. For Dieter, this is by no means the "quiet time" of the year. Rather, the air is filled with the calls of whooper swans, the flapping of goose wings, the soft murmur of falling snow, and countless twinkling reflections. His perceptive photographs, taken mainly near his home along the Elbe River, often highlight the special appeal of subtle and fleeting moments in nature. Fine nuances of colour, unobtrusive compositions and the melancholy of departure and remaining characterise his images.

Dieter Damschen was born in the Lower Rhine region in 1970. At the age of twelve, his interest in nature was awakened by ornithological excursions, after which there was no turning back. After graduating from high school in 1990, he chose to work with Germany's oldest and largest nature conservation association (NABU) for his alternative civilian service. Not yetsure about his career path, Dieter then took a "temporary" position in a print shop. In 2003, he quit his job, started his own business as a nature photographer, and moved from the Rhine to the Elbe -finally able to live his dream.
www.dieterdamschen.de

In the new book and exhibition named VERLORENES, UNVERLIERBARES (LOST, EVERLASTING), the photographer Monika Lawrenz and the poet Anke Bastrop explore phenomena under threat due to the climate crisis. Moreover, the two women examine the beauty of nature, a beauty which seems everlasting. Creative tension results from the juxtaposition of that which has been lost and that which seems eternal.

Monika Lawrenz was born and raised in Schwerin. In 1983, she moved to Hamburg to study documentary film and photography at the Hochschule für Bildende Künste. Since returning to Mecklenburg in 1995, Monika has mainly worked together with musicians and artists. Monika also has a special fondness for nature photography which she synergistically integrates with music and poetry in her projects.

www.monikalawrenz.de

Karsten Mosebach is head over heels in love with his home region, Teutoburg Forest. His hometown is surrounded by diverse habitats, ranging from moors to low mountain ranges. Karsten never tires of exploring his environs with camera in hand and truly hopes that his photographs reflect his passion ...

Over 30 years ago, a friend took Karsten Mosebach deer stalking for the first time. In the early morning hours, the two photographers sat in the forest, watching and waiting. Karsten listened eagerly to the rustling sounds coming from all directions and tried to peer into the darkness. With the light of dawn, the first animals came out of their hiding places. Karsten Mosebach still has the first photo he took of a deer that day. It's a lousy photo, but for Karsten it marks the beginning of his love for nature photography. To this day, he chases all kinds of animals with his camera and boundless energy, always trying to get close enough to build a connection and take that special shot. In nature, Karsten enjoys nothing more than being able to take photographs of a moor landscape or a forest slowly emerging from the morning mist.
www.karstenmosebach.de

Arctic ice has been the central artistic subject for Stephan Fürnrohr for many years. Which is why the photographer kept returning to the Far North and in particular Greenland. Here, in one of the Earth’s least densely populated regions, space seems to be both timeless and subject to constant change. In order to realise the project 90° Greenland, the photographer expanded his creative scope to include the aerial perspective by using multicopters. The visual concept of the photography series is that all images are taken in a 90° angle from zenith. Images taken from this unique perspective and at much lower elevation than normal aerial photographs record fine details of the ice and the landscape. The 90° perspective transforms the Earth’s surface into a canvas on which astounding images emerge from the interplay of shapes, lines and colours.
Stephan Fürnrohr (*1972 in Regensburg) developed an enthusiasm for photography as a teenager. Ever since he spent time exploring northern Sweden's national parks with two friends at the age of 17, Stephan has been afflicted with the "Arctic virus". Stephan is father of two children, an entrepreneur and runs his own photo gallery in the picturesque town of Kallmünz, an artist colony near Regensburg.
www.time-for-inspiration.de