Passionate souls of photography
We have interviewed a few of the passionate souls of photography in Copenhagen. People usually behind the scenes. People making things possible for artists working with photography. People that also makes it possible for us all to get to experience great photography exhibitions and publications in our the city. And not only during Copenhagen Photo Festival in June – but all year!
Banja Rathnov Kunsthandel og Galleri
Oblong
Dark Gallery
Prospekt Space
Disko Bay Books
passionate souls of photography
Shining light on photography as an art form
Meet new and established gallerists Jonathan Lieb of Oblong, Banja Rathnov from Banja Rathnov kunsthandel og galleri, Kim Wyon of Dark Gallery, Mogens Ulderup of Prospekt Space and photo book publisher Stinus Duch from Disko Bay.
They are some of the passionate souls of the Danish photo scene and part of this year's festival programme with exhibitions, artist talks, book launches and more. They each create unique spaces for photography. So, here we give them space to talk about their work making photography into much more than what you encounter on Instagram or online. At their galleries and in their books photography turns into tactile and sensuous experiences that demands you to pause, reflect and enjoy!
You can and should give them a round of applaus, but more importantly go and visit their exhibitions and buy their books during the festival – and after!
Video credit: Sonia Tomegeros
Passionate Souls
Jonathan Lieb
“Photography, I think, allows me to get myself into places and meet people that I might not otherwise do. In all environments, there's this unwritten code of conduct, and so I'm always interested in the way in which people use environment and space and whether or not they adhere to these set of unspoken rules that govern a space or whether or not they transgress those rules.” – Jonathan Lieb, gallerist at Oblong
Passionate souls
Banja Rathnov
“I knew photographers and they told me we have to have a place. I had lunch with Martin Parr and he told me that in England, when he started to be interested in photography, he was the only one. And there were no collections, there were no museums, there were no nothing, no books. And he told me, perhaps you should do it then in Copenhagen” – Banja Rathnov, gallerist at Banja Rathnov Kunsthandel og Galleri.
Passionate Souls
Stinus Duch
“Photography on a phone or online – there's so much! It's like a never ending pile of information. So, I think we still need something to keep our focus and inspire you to take your time and to get into the images and the story or the concept” – Stinus Duch, founder Disko Bay Books
Passionate souls
Mogens Ulderup
“The gallery was born out of a kind of wish. I want to give something to the city. People come down and say, oh, it's so nice that you opened this place, because I mean, there were only curtains before… To be in a physical space and have a physical picture is something else. You also have your body here. It's not just your eyes and your brain.” – Mogens Ulderup, gallerist at Prospekt Space
Passionate Souls
Kim Wyon
“We try to create an environment where it takes time to experience things and also often try to engage people with each other. The darkness of the space in general here is also about slowing down and focusing.” – Kim Wyon, gallerist at Dark Gallery
