Jules Spinatsch, a Swiss-born photographer, was awarded the 1st annual BMW-Paris Photo Prize for Photography in November 2004. The winning series of photographs, large-format abstracts of machine-groomed ski slopes illuminated only by the headlights of the snow cat machines that groom them late at night, is part of work-in-progress ironically named “Snow Management”.

The new work shares a sensibility with Spinatsch’s earlier bodies of work — the photographer’s consistent examination of human obsession for control — over nature, politics, each other, and public perception.

Here, we are pleased to present photos from the just-completed, multi-year series that Spinatsch has made showing the “Temporary Discomfort” created when summits of government leaders temporarily take over cities around the world — and change those cities dramatically in the name of “security”.

In a 10-minute audio interview for Lens Culture, Spinatsch talks about his thinking behind the “Temporary Discomfort” series, which will be released in early 2005 as a 128-page monograph by Lars Müller Publishers-CH.

An insightful essay by Martin Jaeggi examines the "Temporary Discomfort" series, as well.

 
Temporary Discomfort
by Jules Spinatsch
With Martin Jäggi, author and editor
German and English
Hardcover, 120 pages
80 color photographs
9.5 x 11.75 inches
Publisher: Lars Muller, 2006
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Spinatsch is represented by these galleries: Switzerland: Ausstellungsraum 25, Zurich-CH, and Galerie Luciano Fasciati, Chur-CH
London-GB: VTO Gallery.