The Purest Form of Truth

For the past decade, Johanna Maria Fritz has been travelling the world – photographing in conflict and crisis zones, in countries with collapsing governments, among persecuted minorities and those on the margins of society. The purest form of truth, it seems, manifests itself in scenarios that only few of us can bear to witness. “The people I encountered were preoccupied with the difficulties of their own situation, and have never learned to pose according to our standards,” Fritz explains.

The ARTCO Gallery now dedicates a captivating showcase to the Berlin-based photographer’s work: ‘Jenseits der Grenzen’ (Beyond the Borders) is on display until April 15, 2023. The exhibition is complemented by a conversation between the artist and picture editor Barbara Stauss, scheduled for March 29, 2023 (from 7 pm).

Among the featured works are portraits of Taliban fighters which the photographer commissioned to be woven into rugs. As a result, young girls – the very demographic whose hopes and dreams have been destroyed by the Islamists’ ban on women’s education – became the creators of the final artworks on display: images that are supposedly heroic but, in reality, serve as a testament to the Taliban’s cruel and inhumane rule.

In spring 2022, Fritz was one of the first photojournalists to travel to Ukraine, covering events in Bucha and the Donbas region. The resulting photographs are proof that journalistic documentation is not only congruent with high aesthetic standards, but that the presence of beauty can, in fact, accentuate the horrors being portrayed. Fritz’s images are, without doubt, icons of modern photojournalism.

The exhibition also includes excerpts from two older series, conceptualised as long-term fine-art projects. Despite their dreamlike nature, these photographs – which centre around ‘witches’ in Romania, and female circus performers in largely Muslim countries – emanate a feeling of proximity that Johanna-Maria Fritz seems to be able to establish, particularly in precarious situations.

An extensive portfolio of Fritz’s work can be found in LFI 8/2021.