Space Gallery St Barth is delighted to present a comprehensive exhibition of works by Ulf Saupe at its St Barth Gallery. Ulf Saupe doesn’t always know what his final pieces will look like. Each time a new work is birthed, Saupe engages in a beautiful dance with the elements he uses, the photographs he takes, and the alchemy that occurs when the two come together. Known for his meticulous approach to photography and innovative use of analog processes, Saupe's artistry invites viewers on a journey of introspection and environmental contemplation and to explore the complex relationship between society and the natural world.

For Saupe, the process of crafting each artwork is as significant as the elements captured within it. Drawing inspiration from 19th-century photo techniques, Saupe explores unconventional processes that allow him to incorporate unusual materials and reimagine the possibilities of photography. The exploration of our contemporary environment and its complex relationship with nature is central to his work, while shedding light on the themes of environmental concern and the transformation of natural landscapes.

Saupe is well known for his Waterscapes- his longest-running series that captures the beauty and movement of water through cyanotype prints. Water is all important to every aspect of this series - not only is it the subject but it is also used in the process of creating the pieces, used manually to create these deep blue hues that create a hybrid between the original photograph and these rich blue colored pieces. Water is also the message of the collection which emphasizes water's fluidity and its crucial role in our world as the source and essence of life.

The Res navalis pieces are also part of the Waterscape series. Using translucent cyanotype prints on glass, this series examines marine pollution. These works are photograms created using light to draw directly the object onto the photo-sensitive emulsion on glass. At first glance these beautiful mystical shapes that dance on the glass look like the silhouettes of translusecent jellyfish floating in the deeps but they are in fact plastic bags left to float for years and eventually decay in our oceans. Saupe makes an important social commentary through these images which convey the fragile beauty of marine life amid plastic debris.

The artist’s exploration of the environment and our impact on the natural world is a constant preoccupation and theme in his work. The golden forest is another beautiful example. Inspired by the Amazon River, this series looks at the balance between nature and technology. Saupe prints on wooden plates which are coated with 24-karat gold leaf and powdered coal, two materials at different ends of the spectrum. The richness of Gold the most precious of all materials is representative of how important the amazon is to humanity as the lungs of the world. And coal on the other hand representing the waste, the residue and the by product of industralisation. This series is visually stunning and its message is compelling. Every detail from the subject to the materials selected are carefully considered and chosen with intention. Juxtaposing the the wealth of the natural world with its fragiity and man’s destruction of what is most important. This series creates a powerful reflection on the Amazon's biodiversity and the impact of modern growth. An extension of this theme can be seen in the Invernaderos collection which focuses on the sprawling plastic greenhouses of industrial agriculture. Again the medium and materials are instrumental in the message of the artwork - Saupe's images, are made with soil collected from the sites. The pieces encourage viewers to rethink industrial practices and imagine alternative futures.

Ulf Saupe's thought-provoking works (which are viusally stunning) simultaneously seek to remind us to be environmentally concious. The art not only challenges perceptions but also sparks dialogue about our relationship with the natural world.

Ulf Saupe. Born in 1979 in Halle (Saale), Saupe studied Fine Arts with a focus on experimental photography. His work has been showcased globally, including a solo museum exhibition at CAAM in 2023, and is part of numerous private and institutional collections.