Fernweh by Teju Cole
LAST COPY
“As an artist, you cannot do everything. In fact, if you try to do everything, it means you end up not having a voice.”T.C
Switzerland's picturesque landscapes and apparent stability have made it a challenging subject for contemporary photography. Over a five-year span from 2014 to 2019, Teju Cole discovered a uniquely fresh perspective on this country, long epitomized as a quintessential tourist destination for nearly two centuries. His work, "Fernweh," explores the German concept of a longing to be elsewhere. Cole's meditative and meticulously composed photographs, captured on color film, evoke the hidden history of the Alpine nation and its meticulously curated landscapes.
Cole's approach is reminiscent of Luigi Ghirri's "Italia in Miniatura," where Ghirri masterfully captured the essence of Italian landscapes, blending subtle details with a broader narrative. Similarly, Cole's work reflects a deep understanding and appreciation of the intricate and often unnoticed aspects of Switzerland's terrain.
By returning to Switzerland year after year, Cole demonstrates the patience and subtle palette characteristic of notable contemporary European photographers, echoing Ghirri's influence in his attention to detail and thoughtful composition. Yet, the constructivist tension in Cole's images is uniquely his own.
Through photographs taken in every corner of Switzerland—from Vaud to Graubünden to Lugano—"Fernweh" presents a vision of the country that, while largely devoid of human presence, is rich with human traces, most notably Cole’s distinctive way of seeing. His work stands as a testament to the power of photography to reveal the profound and often hidden layers of a landscape, much like Ghirri's work did for Italy.