From fairytales to Merkel and the German military, German photographers as young as 13 take a unique view of their country. Winners of a major youth photo award are presenting their works in a special exhibition.
From deconstructed clichés to everyday rituals, German photographers as young as 13 take a unique view of their country. Winners of a major youth photo award are presenting their works in Bonn through October 16.
Is it science-fiction or just a new beauty technique? This unusual photo was taken during the Cosmetica trade fair in Hannover. The photo series "Trade Show" by Jakob Schnetz, 23, from Freiburg deals with social rituals and structures. "The strangeness of these pictures is meant to attract the spectator. The absurdity aims to let him reflect the familiar and the self-evident," explains Schnetz.
Image: Jakob Schnetz/Deutscher Jugendfotopreis 2015
Typically German: the garden gnome
With his gnome in a black, red and gold pot, David Antonio Zuther, 15, from Hamburg is conveying the more or less mundane topic of garden plots. In his photo series "German Conditions," he focuses on tiny details from different worlds - all within the context of the traditional German garden.
Image: David Antonio Zuther/Deutscher Jugendfotopreis 2015
Merkel's body language
Maximilian Mundt, 18, from Hamburg loves to dress up. His work, "Democracy," depicts himself as German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Mundt, winner of the first prize in his age group, portrays Merkel complete with her characteristic hand gesture.
Image: Maximilian Mundt/Deutscher Jugendfotopreis 2015
Everyday life in the city
Carlotta Huber, 15, from Freiburg named her series "My Germany - My Freiburg - My home." She likes to portray aspects of everyday life that anyone can relate to - but from a unique perspective. This scene from an underground tunnel is something we've all encountered - but Huber shows it through her eyes.
Aleyna Maria Sagnak, 13, isn't old enough to drive yet, but chose to focus on cars in her series, "Germany, United Car Country." She photographs the small details associated with autos in Germany, from bobbing dachshunds to Mercedes stars and camping idylls.
Image: Aleyna Maria Sagnak/Deutscher Jugendfotopreis 2015
A changing village
The photo of a traditional German shooting festival, known as a Schützenfest, is part of a long-term documentary that traces the evolution of a small village in Lower Saxony. Twenty-five-year-old Felix Schledding's series shows the withdrawal of British troops in the town and reflects on the topics "Home and Origin," drawing a connection between German and European history.
Image: Felix Schledding/Deutscher Jugendfotopreis 2015
Good morning, Germany!
"I put my camera right next to my bed. The next morning I woke up and started picturing everything around me," says Sirin Demirelli, 21, from Mainz. She takes pictures of what she sees immediately after waking up and her photo series brightly embodies morning rituals.
Nanna Heitmanm, 20, from Hannover recorded the old and rather bizarre tradition of "Buttnmandls." Each year on December 5, the bearded, imaginary creatures rove around the region of Berchtesgaden in Bavaria, chasing Bishop Nicholas and threatening to carry off misbehaving children.
In a colorful denial of age, 24-year-old Maria lanziger from Weimar created a unique photo series called "Berndl Berchtesgaden." The collection focuses on the life of two elderly people living in rural Upper Bavaria and presents a mystical, romantic view of the region.
Image: Sophia Maria Lanzinger/Deutscher Jugendfotopreis 2015
Happy birthday, Germany!
Germany’s birthday was a central theme for the German Photo Prize for Young People, since the submitted photos were taken in 2015 - exactly 25 years after German reunification in 1990. Felicia Frank, 13, from Frankfurt took a picture of Germany's former border between East and West.
Some are in color, others in black-and-white. Some were taken on film, others digitally altered. Some depict humans, others focus on nature.
But there is one common thing between the 100 photographs from the German Youth Photo Prize: They share an individual perspective by telling stories from the photographer's life.
Although these works of art were selected at last year's German Youth Photo Prize, their content is still very much up-to-date. Now, though October 16, 2016, they are being displayed at the Haus der Geschichte historical museum in Bonn.
These intimate views of Germany were created exactly 25 years after the German reunification and show how the young generation is interpreting Germany. Children, adolescents and adults under 26 were invited to submit photos and photo series on the topic "My Germany." The exhibition now presents the 100 best works from 28 budding photographers.
A photo collage by Maximilian MundtImage: Maximilian Mundt/Deutscher Jugendfotopreis 2015
Black, red, and gold for breakfast
Ten-year-old Valentin Toschner is the winner among the youngest participants. Experimenting with colorful spreads, he spontaneously created "Germany Toast" during breakfast with his parents.
"We often burn toast in the toaster until it's black," Toschner explained, "So we thought, if there was yellow and red, we would have a German flag!"
From the Brothers Grimm to Merkel
Maximilian Mundt, 18, approached the topic quite differently. Mundt, who won first prize in the 16-to-20-year-old group, experiments with self-portrayals that he personally relates to Germany.
The result is enthralling collages. "I've always had the idea to portray myself. Then I started to create this special series for the competition," Mundt explained in an interview.
Equipped with self-made costumes and props, he engages with different areas of society, including Chancellor Angela Merkel and the famous Brothers Grimm's fairytales.
The average age of the artists behind this project was nineImage: Fotogruppe Kamerajungs der Salzmannschule/Deutscher Jugendfotopreis 2015
"I love fairytales and I've always lived in my own dream world," he explained. "In photography and the digital world, I realized that I am able to actually carry out my dream world. Everything is possible with digital media."
Happy Birthday, Germany!
Last year's special topic was "Best Wishes!," meant to cover the 25th anniversary of German reunification. The photographers were asked to create greeting cards for Germany, with the judges looking for a combination of photo and text elements. Accordingly, the photographer group "Kamerajungs" (average age: 9 years) from the Salzmannschule in Duisburg created a greeting card in 3D. The card reveals a tattered German flag that is fused together in front of the Berlin skyline.
The text "Happy Birthday, Germany" was created by photographing their own bodies in letter forms.
Post-traumatic stress disorder is not often talked about in GermanyImage: Jakob Ganslmeier/Deutscher Jugendfotopreis 2015
Germany's forgotten soldiers
Jakob Ganslmeier named his work about the German military "Trigger." For his photo series, he accompanied soldiers who suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder after their missions in Afghanistan. Using an analogous medium format camera, the 24-year-old developed emotional images of an invisible disease.
"The military's missions also belong to modern Germany - but there is only little media coverage and attention of those events," said the young photographer.
The exhibition is on show through October 16, 2016 at the Haus der Geschichte museum in Bonn.
