'Lost Passage'

Collecting in the service of knowledge acquisition has always existed in a tense relationship with its own epistemic foundation. Natural history, ethnographic, or archaeological collections were created with the aim of preserving knowledge about species, cultures, or past worlds and making it accessible for research. Yet the very act of collecting often destructively intervenes in what is meant to be preserved.

Specimens that were originally intended to serve as repositories of knowledge are themselves subject to progressive deterioration. Organic material decomposes, colors fade, historical preservation methods such as arsenic or mercury treatments cause long-term damage to the material, and mechanical wear from storage, transport, or repeated examination leads to loss of substance. The specimen, once a means to knowledge, thus becomes a research object in its own process of decay.

The images shown are just a small selection of the entire series. All works are copyright protected, and any reproduction without the artist's permission is strictly prohibited.

Fineart Prints on Hahnemühle Baryta (Size: 42,0 × 59,4 cm)