ARTISTS
Corina Gertz: Echoes of the Unseen
In her long-term project The Averted Portrait, photographer Corina Gertz turns her gaze to women in traditional attire - and simultaneously averts it. The subjects always appear from behind, against a monochrome black background. This deliberate staging places the focus on clothing as a carrier of history, identity and belonging. Skin colour, face and body proportions step into the background - a cultural memory becomes visible, which is reflected in fabrics, patterns and craftsmanship.
Many of the garments on display are heirlooms that are rich in history, tradition and family significance. They embody knowledge passed down through generations and reflect social, aesthetic and political narratives. Without revealing the individuality of the wearers, Corina Gertz succeeds in drawing a sensitive portrait of collective identity - between personal affiliation and social context.
Through systematic cataloguing, she creates a visual archive that is far more than a mere documentary collection: Her artistic pictorial language reinforces the impact of the garments as an expression of cultural diversity and reminds us of their emotional and political dimension. The posture of those portrayed - upright, present, proud - emphasises the significance and dignity of the clothing depicted and of its wearers.The turned-away portrait is a silent homage to cultural roots and textile memory - and at the same time an invitation to look, reflect and rediscover.
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In her long-term project The Averted Portrait, photographer Corina Gertz turns her gaze to women in traditional attire - and simultaneously averts it. The subjects always appear from behind, against a monochrome black background. This deliberate staging places the focus on clothing as a carrier of history, identity and belonging. Skin colour, face and body proportions step into the background - a cultural memory becomes visible, which is reflected in fabrics, patterns and craftsmanship.
Many of the garments on display are heirlooms that are rich in history, tradition and family significance. They embody knowledge passed down through generations and reflect social, aesthetic and political narratives. Without revealing the individuality of the wearers, Corina Gertz succeeds in drawing a sensitive portrait of collective identity - between personal affiliation and social context.
Through systematic cataloguing, she creates a visual archive that is far more than a mere documentary collection: Her artistic pictorial language reinforces the impact of the garments as an expression of cultural diversity and reminds us of their emotional and political dimension. The posture of those portrayed - upright, present, proud - emphasises the significance and dignity of the clothing depicted and of its wearers.The turned-away portrait is a silent homage to cultural roots and textile memory - and at the same time an invitation to look, reflect and rediscover.
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