Berning & Di Battista / Confluence

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Through August 27, 2017

Fotografiska

© Berning & Di Battista

A truly inspiring collaboration between two entirely different artistic practices, resulting in something unique. That is what characterizes the work of photographer Michelangelo Di Battista and artist Tina Berning.

“I just love to see what Tina adds to my photographs, how she interprets them with her skillful and artistic creativity. Whether it’s with thick charcoal lines, colorful woven ribbons, texts or something completely different,” Michelangelo Di Battista says.

In a photographic career spanning over 20 years, Di Battista has worked throughout the world with the biggest names in the fashion industry and published his photographs in the most prestigious magazines and journals.

“It’s an honor to have the chance to leave my comments and traces on Michelangelo Di Battista’s beautiful photos by scratching their surface, adding layers of paint or cutting them to pieces. Each picture has a challenge to support, interpret, explore and annotate what he had captured before” explains Tina Berning.

Working both commercially and artistically, with solo exhibitions in the United States, Germany, Japan and the Netherlands as well as publications throughout the world, Berning is a much sought-after illustrator as well as a fine artist.

“The art of photography is constantly evolving. This collaboration is an exciting example of how things expand when other artistic techniques add value. They are each prominent in their respective fields, so it is very brave to look for new ways in unknown waters,” Exhibition Coordinator Lisa Hydén explains.

Since they met in 2007 for a photo shoot for Italian Vogue, German Artist Tina Berning and Italian Photographer Michelangelo Di Battista have created unique artworks that blur the boundaries between photography, illustration, painting and crafts. Instead of subjecting Di Battista’s photography to digital image processing, Berning expands analog on the images with drawings, texts, by scratching, painting or even weaving the surface. Working individually in different countries, together they create a shared universe. The title of their exhibition at Fotografiska, Confluence, refers to the flowing together of two creative streams.

The result is breathtaking images that allow the photograph to increase in size and perspective. Their sensitive and perceptive eye for what the other has created results in a kind of anarchic pact, which differs greatly from what they create on their own.

“I know that when I shoot photos for a joint project I compose them in a different way; the photograph has the function as her canvas,” Di Battista explains and adds that he is very passionate about the collaboration.

“The creative approach in regard to these works is often about teasing out the personality of the character, by literally scratching the surface of a perfect beauty. The process has an anarchic moment increased by the fact that I only have one shot. If I take a wrong decision I ruin the photo or react by turning to a new direction as we are talking of analog, unique pieces of art.”