snow or the absence thereof - chapter one

Will there still be snow next year? Snow on the Alps? Snow that stays longer than for a few weeks?
I was born in the district of Traunstein and grew up in the foothills of the Chiemgau Alps. This area, surrounding the Chiemsee lake, is a popular spot for vacations, for skiing and visits to Luftkurorte (literally ‘air spas’). But for how much longer? How long will it take for climate change to make itself undeniable in Germany too? How much of our ‘Bavarian Sea’ will still be there, and on which mountains will we still be able to ski?

I decided to use my photographic knowledge and skills to document this change in order to draw attention to this crisis in an artistic and documentary manner. The first part of this project was created in December 2023. Shortly before I started my trip, there was disruption in and around Munich and the Chiemgau. I thought I would be coming home to a snowy paradise, but instead I was welcomed by warm rays of sunshine and little patches of melting snow. It didn’t really snow again until the new year. The Christmas season was for the most part pleasantly sunny, sometimes a bit rainy.

I documented various areas of the Chiemgau: I went to the top of the highest mountain in the area, the Hochfelln; drove deep into the mountains in Reit im Winkl; past the Three Lakes area and of course around Lake Chiemsee. I photographed the snow there, and the lack of it. I photographed the weather, and the aftermath of the disruption, and the lack of snow following.

snow or the absence thereof - chapter two

look to chapter one for the description.

A trip to Yorkshire

An artistic and documentary examination of the Yorkshire area in England. The photographs were taken on an old action camera, which means they develop their own structure, one that almost resembles brush strokes. It’s a visual, fragmented and to some maybe even a slightly magical story.

Die Letzte Generation

A photostory about the German climate protest group “The Last Generation”. My aim in the project was to offer a counterpart to the prevailing reporting. So above all, as has not been reported much so far, to show the before and after and the trappings of the actions of The Last Generation and to get closer to the activists.

Werde? Gang!

I had met Franzi in an earlier semester for a fashion photography project. Back then, Franzi still assumed they were a woman. About a year later I photographed Franzi again, this time Franzi is non-binary and uses the name Emil. Over the course of this project Emil changes back to Franzi, but the non-binary gender identity remains. Therefore Franzi and Emil can both be seen in these pictures. You can also see changes, a process of finding oneself and unlearning the norms and ideas of our society until it feels right.
The people in these pictures begin to communicate with each other when juxtaposed. They compare themselves, recognize similarities and notice changes. They engage with themselves, yesterday and today and are often noticeably emotionally connected to one another. The pictures are from 2021 and 2022.

Who is Big Neil Anderson?

Who is Big Neil Anderson? Every time someone gets introduced to Big Neil Anderson, they ask this exact question, even I did when I first got to know Tom (the person behind BNA). And fittingly, I did not get a very satisfying answer the first time around. The book is meant to be an introduction to BNA as an artist and a little bit about the person behind it, but what we were both trying with this book was to keep the mystique around BNA. Because of that, the pictures are oftentimes from the back or blurry, only at the end of the book are you really starting to see Tom more clearly.

A different age (excerpts)

A fashion series about Generation Z in a new and different time. Gen Z knows how to present themselves as confident and strong and how to skillfully play with gender roles. Dressing yourself up and playing with the limited options you have: a bad camera, second hand clothing, a bedroom, a bathtub or a hallway. Occupying yourself whilst being stuck inside during the pandemic, waiting. Frustrated and desperate to know when we can finally return to normality and experience our adolescent years without any restrictions.

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Hel Wagner About

diary snow or the absence thereof - one snow or the absence thereof - twoA trip to YorkshireDie Letzte Generation Werde? Gang! Who is Big Neil Anderson? A different age @_dunkhel helen-karina.wagner@hotmail.com +49 1749659015 ©2024 Hel Wagner Imprint

diary

snow or the absence thereof - one
snow or the absence thereof - two
A trip to Yorkshire
Die Letzte Generation
Werde? Gang!
Who is Big Neil Anderson?
A different age

@_dunkhel helen-karina.wagner@hotmail.com +49 1749659015
©2024 Hel Wagner Imprint