Paola de Pietri

More about the book

Paola De Pietris’ trees consist of three high-quality concertina-fold booklets, released for the joint exhibition "Witterungen" featuring Laurenz Berges, Michael Collins, and Paola De Pietri. These photographic series explore the subtle, progressive changes in landscapes and living environments. Laurenz Berges examines sites in the industrial Ruhr region of Germany, highlighting casual signs of past eras through places and buildings. Michael Collins presents nearly identical panoramic seascapes of marshlands shaped by natural elements, alongside interiors and close-ups of industrial sites. Paola De Pietri focuses on striking trees, each captured in black-and-white, standing alone in the landscape, showcasing their unique forms. Together, these three artists offer a fresh perspective on both circumstantial and timeless realities, revealing facts, gradual transformations, and specific aesthetics. Their intricate compositions evoke discomfort stemming from the contrast between urbanity and nature, as well as the ambivalence surrounding "unused" areas that nature reclaims or humans repurpose. The exhibition took place at Die Photographische Sammlung/SK Stiftung Kultur in Cologne from February 3 to July 8, 2018.