History of origin:
In early spring, in that threshold time between sleep and awakening, when the first tentative rays of sunshine warmed the vineyards, I discovered a special vine. It stood there like a contemporary witness, ancient and full of character, with partially detached bark hanging down in fine strips. In this inconspicuous detail, a hidden world suddenly revealed itself to me - the loose bark was reminiscent of delicate veils, the clothes of mythical beings. The morning mist enveloped the scene and it seemed as if I had entered a secret place where nature spirits perform their silent dances. This magical moment of transformation, in which an old vine became the protagonist of a never-told fairy tale, inspired me to write “Fairy Dance”.

Description:
With “Fairy Dance” I visualize the delicate border between reality and imagination. Using the technique of Intentional Camera Movement, I have created a flowing, dance-like movement that follows the natural form of the hanging strips of bark and transforms them into a dynamic choreography. This deliberate movement during the shot dissolves the fixed structure of the vine and creates a floating, ethereal quality.

The monochrome realization reinforces the dreamlike character and creates an atmosphere of timeless mysticism. The contrasts between the dark parts of the trunk and the lighter, almost translucent areas of the bark create a depth reminiscent of wafts of mist in an enchanted forest. The light, diffused by the movement, plays around the forms and makes them oscillate between appearing and disappearing - a visual echo of the transformation that is taking place in nature at this moment of early spring.

Special features:
The uniqueness of this work lies in its ability to transform the everyday into the fairytale. The old vine with its peeling bark - a common sight in old vineyards - becomes a portal into a world beyond the visible through artistic interpretation. The blurred movement creates a surreal quality in which the boundaries between the vine and its surroundings, between matter and light, become blurred.

The balance between abstraction and recognizability is particularly remarkable. Despite the transformation caused by the camera movement, the essence of the vine remains intact - its presence is not dissolved, but elevated to a higher, poetic dimension. This transformation mirrors the process of spring, in which new life is already stirring beneath the rough surface, ready to unfold and reveal itself.

Connection to the exhibition:
“Fairy Dance” adds a mythical, almost surreal dimension to the ‘Metamorphoses of Silence’ exhibition. While other works explore the structural aspects of the vineyards or their landscape setting, this picture delves into the world of the fairytale and shows that the silent metamorphoses also possess a magical, transformative power. It leads the viewer from the outer landscape into an inner space of imagination and poetry.

Reference to Rheinhessen:
The old vines are precious witnesses to a special viticultural philosophy in Rheinhessen. While the region has traditionally often focused on optimizing yields and replanting vineyards at an early stage, there is a growing movement of winegrowers who consciously focus on quality rather than quantity. These wineries allow their vines the time to develop their full depth of character - an approach that is reflected in gnarled veterans like this one, with its characteristic flaking bark.

These old vines are not only prized for their often outstanding wine quality - they also represent a rethinking process in Rhine-Hessian wine culture. They symbolize the renaissance of quality viticulture in a region that has reinvented itself in recent decades and is now known for some of the most exciting wines in Germany.

“Fairy Dance” captures this special moment of upheaval and transformation - both in the seasonal sense of the awakening spring and in the cultural sense of a region that is reinterpreting its winemaking tradition. The picture shows one of these special moments when past and future meet - when the old vines awaken to new life in early spring and continue to write the history of Rhine-Hessian wine culture. In this work, the changing cultural landscape of Rheinhessen can be experienced as a place of magic and conscious transformation.