Does This Happen to Everyone? by Jan von Holleben

That’s why references are found everywhere, and are also important to reveal correlations. I’m not a friend of copying, but of inspiration, and so I see myself and others as catalysts of culture. Yes, companions and role models are always important. There seem to be many references to art history. The series was then assembled very quickly. Yes – the shapes, colours and haptics came together to play around with my own little artistic and aesthetic vocabulary. It seems as though you dove into the subject with great passion and pleasure. As for me, the expression immediately stood for drama and, at the same time, for delight in that magical, and also dangerous, crystal. Such a mass of sugar at its best: WOW! was the only thing anyone could say. The smell alone, when I opened the box – it was enough to really blow a few synapses. The dream of all children – the horror of all dentists. Yes, pretty much right after the first pictures, and when a second large order of sweet things had been delivered to my studio: 30 kilos of normal-sized portions in an enormous box. Was the Sugar WOW! title set from the beginning? The idea actually gave me the creeps, though I was still delighted when it came to unpacking all my booty. The first shock came when I went shopping: I’d never been able to purchase props and research material so cheaply – and much more that I could ever imagine consuming, myself. The work concerned with the subject of sugar was to be cheerful and inviting, yet also critical.

What ideas were discussed for the series? We spoke with the photographer about his work and the visual sugar rush. From the first glimpse, the resulting art proved irresistible. On this occasion, he was invited by the curator of the »horizons zingst« Environmental Photo Festival, Edda Fahrenhorst, to develop a series around the subject of sugar, within the framework of this year’s festival motto: “Eat It – About Food”. Above all, his unmistakable visual language has been defined by his layered work involving people and a diversity of props, which are laid out on the floor of his studio, and photographed from up high. He has frequently demonstrated a talent for turning surprising and creative ideas into intriguing series.

The material that Jan von Holleben has used for his new series is brightly coloured, sweet and sticky.

Does This Happen to Everyone? by Jan von Holleben