ZWISCHEN ERDE UND HOFFNUNG

Henrike Stahl

Exhibition: 30th January – 11th April 2026

The photographs and poetic interventions on display were created during her residency at the French vineyard Château Palmer in 2023. Her series L’arc sera parmi les nuages depicts the daily life of the winemakers and portraits young people, mostly from the surrounding suburbs, who often carry a bad reputation. Stahl poetically documents how these young people contribute to the vineyard’s work and learn through hands-on experience. “It quickly became clear to me that this transfer of knowledge is part of a broader philosophy: at Palmer, they don’t just produce wine, they help people grow. They give young people a chance and believe in learning. The young people here are buds. My task is to photograph these buds as they bloom.”

Stahl captures everything at the margins and traces subtle lines: peripheral figures, in-between states, the delicacy of edges. During her months at Château Palmer, she documented the work of the winemakers with a conspiratorial sensitivity, observing, experimenting, and literally dipping her prints into the earth to create gentle, poetic visions.

This close-to-nature approach is ever aware of the threat of drought and the geographically driven rise of the sea, slowly reclaiming the land. “How can we save our Earth from the fear of flooding, which is omnipresent in a place like Château Palmer – the vineyard is very close to the sea – and what can we do to safeguard our societal values beyond that? Sharing knowledge is crucial. Passing on what has been learned to future generations.” Stahl consciously chooses a positive perspective on her environment. The unusual practices of biodynamic agriculture inspired her to continue her experimental approach to photography. She subjects her photographs to the same processes and influences as the vineyard: everything the winemakers do, she does too. Nature has the final word – in wine and in her art. The influence of nature is further reflected in her tactile post-processing through cutting within the motif.

Location: Leica Galerie Salzburg, Gaisbergstraße 12, 5020 Salzburg
Dates: 30. January – 11. April 2026
Opening: Thursday, 29. January 2026, 18:30, conversation between Henrike Stahl and Karin Rehn-Kaufmann, Art Director | General Representative Leica Galleries International.

Opening hours:
Tuesday to Friday: 2:00 – 6:00 PM
Saturday: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM

Admission is free!