"COEXIST"

Under the title COEXIST, Franziska Stünkel has been photographing natural reflections on shop window glass for thirteen years while traveling through Asia, Africa, Europe, America, and Australia with her Leica camera. The Leica Gallery Stuttgart is displaying the latest part of her series starting on January 25th: COEXIST - PART 6. In addition to the latest photographs, this includes some thematic references, as Stünkel returns to places of previous shots for the first time.

In Franziska Stünkel's condensation, the photographs tell the story of the coexistence of human life. Charged with utmost complexity, Stünkel's works visualize the commonalities and contrasts that exist in our globally interconnected world. In an overlay of different impressions and perspectives, the reflections challenge the perception of the viewers.

The latest part of her reflection series was photographed with the Leica M11 in Berlin and Chicago, among other places. COEXIST - PART 6 touches on current global issues such as human interaction with nature, pandemics, and digital influences. For the first time, the photographer returns to places that have previously been subject of her COEXIST series. In order to explore this recurring engagement with places, the exhibition combines the latest photographs with some older shots.

Each photograph by Franziska Stünkel can be read in its uniqueness of the captured moment and the reflections it contains. At the same time, in the exhibition, one can follow the photographer's view of different places around the globe, which brings attention to various aspects of coexistence.

Unlike the teamwork of her work as a film director and screenwriter, Franziska Stünkel embarks on the quest for motives alone with her camera when photographing. The special feature is that the artist completely abstains from digital post-processing of her photographs. The result is a multi-layered view of the highly topical question of coexistence in our present time. Accompanying the series, the book "COEXIST" has been published by Kehrer Verlag, featuring 110 images. The photographs are accompanied by texts from various authors and scientists who shed light on the concept of coexistence from their perspective.

"Concentration and contemplation are closely related. The moment of capture is the image," says Ulrich Rüter in the text "Reflections of the Moment" (2012) about the visual world of Franziska Stünkel.

The exhibition "COEXIST" can be seen until March 23, 2024, at the Leica Gallery Stuttgart (Calwer Straße 41). Around 20 photographs are shown and can be purchased in a limited edition. The gallery is open from Monday to Friday from 10:00 am to 6:30 pm and on Saturday from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. Admission is free.

About the photographer: Franziska Stünkel is a German photographic artist, film director, and screenwriter. After studying in the film class and the class for artistic photography, among others, at the University of Fine Arts in Kassel, she was appointed a master student by Prof. Uwe Schrader. The photographic series COEXIST shows her worldwide search for coexistence. Franziska Stünkel's images are exhibited in renowned galleries and exhibition institutions and are represented in private and public collections, including the collection of the Sprengel Museum Hannover, among others. Among the awards for her photographic works are the Audi and Berlin Hyp Art Awards. Franziska Stünkel was nominated for the Prix Pictet and the Louis Roederer Award in 2023. Her films have been shown in 19 countries and at more than 170 international film festivals, and have received numerous awards, including the "Best New Director Award" at the WBFF New York. As a director and screenwriter, Franziska Stünkel realized the feature film NAHSCHUSS with Lars Eidinger, Devid Striesow, and Luise Heyer in the leading roles, which premiered in Germany in August 2021. It was followed by international releases in 2022/23. NAHSCHUSS was also represented in the competition sections of renowned international film festivals.