Lost and Found

It has been twenty years since Christian von Alvensleben and his wife first began collecting objects washed up on the secluded beaches of the Greek island of Rhodes. Salt-water corrosion and the constant movement of the sea had transformed the once-ordinary items into barely recognisable, bizarrely shaped and coloured artefacts. The photographer (b. 1941 in Munich) subsequently portrayed these emblems of our throwaway society in a series of 23 still lifes, in order to highlight one of the most important ecological issues of our time: the pollution of the world’s oceans.

To create his series, van Alvensleben orchestrated the found objects – PET bottles, plastic bags, a clothes peg, a work glove – in his studio like precious designer pieces. Set against a bright background and illuminated by a ring flash, each item is granted its turn in the spotlight. The response elicited in the viewer veers between fascination and unease: in van Alvensleben’s images, beauty serves as an impactful awareness-raising tool.

The showcase, which forms part of the University Library’s loungeaffairs exhibition series, is open Mondays to Fridays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is free.

For further details visit
lounge affairs #5 Christian von Alvensleben: MeeresFrüchte