Encountering strangers – je te regarde et tu dis
The creation of a series of portraits

With «je te regarde et tu dis», Photo Münsingen shows an exhibition by the photographer Thomas Kern, the winner of the 12th edition of the photographic investigation, which was advertised by the cultural office of the canton of Fribourg. The project of the Aargau photographer, two-time winner of the World Press Awards, was to meet the residents of the canton. Spread over more than a year, around 60 black and white portraits were created. The portraits radiate a serenity that stimulates reflection on human encounters and the feeling of a shared moment.

Thomas Kern's pictures are preserved fragments of encounters. They represent a unique moment, that of mutual recognition between the artist and the person being photographed. The presence of a body in the room, the silent gaze, the slow approach of the analog camera create the intensity that the artist is looking for. The moment when the captured image reflects a horizontal exchange. Although the artist traveled through the canton to meet the Freiburg population, his works defy the formation of identity references between geography and the inhabitants. Thomas Kern's portraits act like a mirror, creating a universal image of the person in the intimacy of the encounter.