CHA­LETS OF SWITZERLAND

Switzerland is world-famous for clichés such as chocolate, watches, banks and idyllic mountain landscapes. One of these ideal images is the romantic chalet - a wooden mountain idyll with a fireplace, surrounded by high peaks and fresh snow. But beyond these postcard motifs, a more complex view of the country opens up.

The title CHALETS OF SWITZERLAND refers to this contradiction. Originally, chalet simply meant "hut" or "barrack" and can be traced back to the Latin word "cala", a "sheltered place". In Spanish, "cala" still refers to the weather-protected bay. This linguistic ambiguity is reflected in the photo series shown.

The works presented show "chalets" that are far removed from glamorous Alpine clichés. Under winter conditions, with overcast skies, soft light and a snow-covered landscape, the buildings are staged as if on a stage. This isolation from the usual context is reminiscent of Karl Blossfeldt's plant objects on a white background or the architectural photographs of Bernd and Hilla Becher. The snow here serves as a natural studio backdrop, at the same time as a quote from the familiar cliché images.

The result is a typology of forgotten houses that brings a little-noticed part of Switzerland into focus: a parallel universe beyond the familiar images that unfolds its own quiet beauty.