Lecture
In mid-May, the Augsburg University of Applied Sciences visited us at the Fotodepot in Salzburg. The head of the Communication Design program, Prof. Andreas Kunert, traveled from Augsburg with his colleague Bettina Schmid and nearly 20 students to take a look behind the scenes of a private photo collection. In his seminar “Happy Birthday, Photography!”, Kunert examines Nicéphore Niépce’s 1826 photograph Point de vue du Gras, which he interprets as the birth of photography. In keeping with this theme, our current exhibition at the Fotodepot presents a wide array of photographic masterpieces.
Following an informative lecture on the collection, Andra Spallart was available to the students for questions and discussion. There was particular interest in the collector’s personal motivations and family background. Following a detailed tour of the exhibition “In the Lights of Shadows,” an in-depth discussion ensued regarding the work of Austrian artist Fritz Simak. Another exhibition at the Fotodepot also offers a comprehensive insight into Simak’s diverse body of work.
Prof. Kunert, his colleague Bettina Schmid, and the students did not come empty-handed: as a token of gratitude, they presented us with a series of prints from the university’s workshops—a lovely gesture that we greatly appreciated.
Armed with numerous exhibition catalogs and many new impressions, the group of visitors moved on to the Fotohof. We would like to express our sincere thanks for the in-depth visit, the stimulating exchange, and the great interest in the SpallArt Collection.
