Heidi Harsieber

Heidi Harsieber (b. 1948) is regarded as one of the most influential Austrian photographers of recent decades and is an important representative of the Austrian feminist avant-garde. The diversity and variety of her documented themes are an expression of her open-minded spirit.

Harsieber loves to create unusual and enigmatic works. By cropping or distorting things in certain ways when developing the photos, images are created whose subject matter is not always immediately decipherable. Her wide-ranging work is characterized by a humorous and inquisitive view of the world, which she combines with her extensive knowledge of photography. She does not shy away from taboo subjects or ostensibly unsightly things. When traveling, she captures places, buildings, and situations. Her photographs of sports focus on failure as a part of human life.

The exhibition brings together a fine selection of her diverse thematic series of works, including architecture, fashion, and portraits. On display are photographs of hospitals, the Life Ball in Vienna, and large-scale industrial machinery.

The artist has made her own body the uncompromising and consistent subject of her photographic work. All phases of her life are presented in an unembellished way, captured by pressing the shutter at the right moment. She does not shy away from close-up views, even if this goes against societal expectations and image concepts. This has made her a highly respected role model for a younger generation of photographers.

After an apprenticeship as a photographer, Harsieber attended a master class in photography at the Höhere Graphische Bundes-Lehr- und Versuchsanstalt in Vienna in 1968/69. Viewing the world through the lens of the camera was a constant throughout her life. In 1970, she was the youngest self-employed professional photographer in Austria. At first, she worked for the fashion and tableware industry. In the 1960s and early 1970s, she began to develop her own, independent artistic work. From 1977 to 1985, she headed the central photography workshop at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna. In 2004, Harsieber received a study-abroad fellowship from the BKA in London and in 2015 she was awarded the state fellowship for artistic photography. Her works are shown internationally and around Austria in renowned galleries and museums, including the Austrian Galerie Belvedere, Galerie Fotohof Salzburg, the 21er Haus, and the Lentos Art Museum Linz. In 2023, she received the Lower Austria Recognition Award for Media Art. The artist lives and works in Gloggnitz (Lower Austria) and Vienna.

Curator: Hubert Nitsch