History of origin:
On a clear day in early March, when the air already carried a hint of spring, my path led me through the still dormant vineyards of Rheinhessen. In this special transitional period, when the vines show themselves in their purist, dormant form but the energy of the coming growth is already palpable, the individual “faces” of the vines revealed themselves to me. I began to see each vine not just as part of a whole, but as a personality in its own right - shaped by years of growth, pruning and interaction with the elements. It was then that I realized the fascinating parallel between these characterful vines and the wines they produce: Each with its own story, its own character, its own expressiveness. This realization inspired me to create the trilogy “The Faces of Wine” - a tribute to the individuality that exists even within each vineyard.

Description:
In the trilogy “The Faces of Wine” I portray the individual characters of the vines in their purist form. Using the technique of Intentional Camera Movement, I have created a circular and spiraling movement that flows around each vine, emphasizing and dynamizing its unique structure. This deliberate camera movement during the shoot gives each portrait its own energy and expressiveness - similar to the way a painter uses different brushstrokes to emphasize different character traits.

The monochrome realization reduces the images to their essential formal language and allows the textures and structures of the wood, some of which is old, to stand out intensely. The contrasts between light and shadow, between smoother and rougher surfaces, create a haptic quality that almost conveys the feeling of being able to touch the vines. Each of the three pictures shows a different “personality” - from expressive and twisted to elegant and slender to compact and powerful - a visual metaphor for the diverse characters that are later expressed in the wines.

Special features:
The uniqueness of this trilogy lies in its anthropomorphic quality. The chosen perspective and movement technique transform the vines into physiognomic studies - almost like human portraits. This personification creates an emotional connection between viewer and vine and opens up a new perspective on viticulture as a dialog between man and plant.

The formal composition of the trilogy is also particularly remarkable. The three pictures form a visual unit, a triptych of diversity, which in its entirety is more than the sum of its parts. Each picture stands on its own and is convincing as an individual work, but in their interplay a narrative quality unfolds - the story of diversity within an apparent uniformity.

Connection to the exhibition:
“The Faces of Wine” embodies a central aspect of the exhibition concept ‘Metamorphoses of Silence’. The trilogy shows how in the quiet time of the year, when the vines appear to be at rest, their individual expressiveness comes to the fore. It reveals that stillness does not mean uniformity, but offers space for the perception of nuances and differences.

In dialog with the other works in the exhibition, this trilogy opens up a more intimate, personal dimension. While some pictures show the vineyards in their scenic expanse or emphasize structural aspects, “The Faces of Wine” focuses on the individual within the collective. This micro-perspective view expands the spectrum of “metamorphoses” and invites the viewer to discover the unique even in the seemingly uniform.

Reference to Rheinhessen:
The trilogy touches on an essential aspect of Rheinhessen wine culture: the diversity within a region. Rheinhessen is known for its broad spectrum of grape varieties and wine styles - from classic to experimental approaches, from light, fruity wines to complex, profound creations. This diversity reflects the open, innovative spirit of the region, where tradition and reinterpretation go hand in hand.

The portrayed vines symbolize the different characters of the Rheinhessen winegrowers themselves - from down-to-earth and traditional to progressive and adventurous. This diversity of personalities and philosophies characterizes the wine region as well as its terroir and has contributed significantly to Rheinhessen's renaissance as a quality-oriented wine region.

The importance of individual characters and visions is particularly evident in the period of upheaval and reorientation that Rheinhessen has undergone in recent decades and will continue to face in the future. Similar to the vines portrayed, which have developed their own form despite the same basic conditions, the region's winegrowers have found their own individual ways of exploiting and interpreting Rheinhessen's potential.

“The Faces of Wine” is therefore not only a tribute to the vines themselves, but also to the people who tend them and press characterful wines from them - a visual testimony to the individuality that characterizes today's Rheinhessen.