WHITE WAS THE SNOW . GLACIER PROJECT

Since 2018, I have developed various photographic series related to the melting of alpine glaciers, which are covered by fleece fabric designed to protect against the warming climate. This has less to do with conserving the integrity of the ice and more about the preservation of tourist attractions and economic interests. The Swiss Rhône Glacier with its veiled ice grotto marks the starting point of this project. Here I took interior and exterior shots. From an external perspective, one can see the exposed layers of weathered fabric, foil and sheets of fleece from recent years. Because of the winter storms the blankets are continually replaced and mended. Inside the glacier, I positioned myself directly under the melting, paper-thin ice where the first holes formed. Backlit by the sun, not only are countless air bubbles visible, but the sunlight shimmers the dilapidated cloths through the crystal clear, century’s-old ice. Later the holes have expanded into great fissures, and the dark, heavy covers fall into the cavities. The title "White was the snow" refers to the constant transformation of the snow, which is represented in very different colors, for example, by blue ice, dark dead ice or by turquoise-green water. At the same time, the snow absorbs all dirt and becomes a gray-black mass. The blood snow appears in a pink-red color. The source of this phenomenon is an alga that produces a reddish pigmentation as protection from the bright light and UV radiation. Until now more than 80 photographic works were created in Switzerland, Austria, Italy and Germany. The presentation forms and formats could be very different.