Annette Kelm Versuchsanstalt für Wasserbau und Schiffbau, Berlin, 2018
Archival pigment print
79 x 100 cm (unframed)
Edition of 6
The work Versuchsanstalt für Wasserbau und Schiffbau depicts, in a frontal shot, a building located in Tiergarten, Berlin. In the foreground, lies a wintery barren landscape consisting of trees and branches. In the background, the brightly colored building stands out against the gray landscape. The building is a hybrid architectural structure built by German architect Ludwig Leo (1924-2012) in 1974 which functions itself as a machine and scientific equipment. Although Kelms photograph is a clear depiction of the building, the composition gives it the appearance of a sculptural work. Annette Kelm's precise compositions, carefully lit and extremely sharp, refer to the tradition of landscape photography. Her pictorial constructions of everyday objects, props, and colored backgrounds captivate the viewer with their aesthetic density, placing the object of her work at center stage.