Steffen Freiling

Artist Statement by Steffen Freiling – on perception, photography, and emotional depth.
“I do not photograph to depict the world — but to re-experience and share it anew. Inspired by the Romantic pursuit of emotional depth and the Impressionist liberation from academic conventions, I question the established notion of “accuracy” in visual representation. Instead, I invite a fresh, unfiltered way of seeing. I use photography to deconstruct the familiar and shift the boundaries of perception. Whether through the depiction of time as a fluid element, extreme close-ups of details, or the isolation of forms from their context — my aim is to break habitual ways of seeing and redirect attention toward immediate, sensual experience. It is an act of uncoupling — a return to wonder. Much like the open fascination of a child encountering the world for the first time. My work is an invitation to look beyond the obvious and to discover the emotional resonance of reality through an expanded, non-linear perspective. It is a plea for subjective beauty — often hidden in the unnoticed, the microscopic, or in the flow of time: a world not merely to be seen, but to be felt.”

VITA

Steffen Freiling studied computer science in Germany and the United States and worked for over a decade as a management consultant across Europe and the US. In 2004, he made a conscious change of perspective towards photography. After initial years as a commissioned photographer — including projects for the German Red Cross, the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, and various NGOs — his focus gradually shifted toward artistic work. His oeuvre moves between photography, abstraction, and conceptual imagery — always guided by a keen sensitivity to perception, structure, and the poetry of the everyday. Today, he lives and works in the Black Forest.

Exhibitions

Solo exhibitions (selection)

2006 – Berlin, Germany – Galerie Gül: art-i-fact
2008 – Berlin, Germany – Galerie Gül: Windows of Berlin 1.0
2009 – Iisalmi, Finland – Underground PhotoGallery: Holocaust Memorial Berlin
2009 – Berlin, Germany – Interesting Berlin: Urban Passion
2010 – Berlin, Germany – Galerie Niesen: Urban Passion
2010 – Berlin, Germany – Medienzentrum Berlin: Urban Passion

Group exhibitions (selection)

2008 – Estremoz, Portugal – International Photofestival: Urban Passion & Berlin
2009 – Iisalmi, Finland – Underground PhotoGallery: Urban Passion
2023 – Basel, Switzerland – Artboxy @ Art Basel: The Color Codes & Space over Time
2023 – Zurich, Switzerland – Swissartexpo: The Color Codes & Space over Time
2023 – Athens, Greece – Andie Art Gallery: The Color Codes & Space over Time
2023 – Dubai, UAE – Andakulova Gallery: The Color Codes & Space over Time
2023 – Miami, USA – Spectrum: Space over Time
2024 – Berlin, Germany – Nicoleta Gallery Berlin: Berlin, Space over Time, Paper Works
2024 – Zug, Switzerland – Thomson Gallery: Paper Works, The Color Codes, Space over Time
2024 – Dubai, UAE – Andakulova Gallery: Space over Time
2024 – Venice, Italy, – ARTBOX GROUPS: Paper Works, Space over Time
2024 – ARTBOX.PROJECT Basel 3.0 – BIENNALE ARTBOX EXPO Venezia 2.0: Paper Works
2024 – Zurich, Switzerland – Swissartexpo: Space over Time
2024 – Miami, USA – RED DOT Miami: Space over Time

2009: Officially honored Ambassador of the City of Berlin – Awarded by Berlin’s Governing Mayor Klaus Wowereit for the international presentation of Urban Passion (group exhibition in Portugal, Syria and the USA)

Commissioned work (excerpt)

adidas – Axel Springer Verlag – Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs – BSTU (Stasi Records Authority) – Charité Berlin – Einstein Center for Neurosciences Berlin – German Red Cross, General Secretariat – German Children and Youth Foundation – World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) – Zoologischer Garten Berlin – Tierpark Berlin – People Magazine NY – rbb – Rowohlt Verlag – Schweisfurth-Stiftung – Chamäleon Theater Berlin

Main focus: Editorial, marketing, sociomarketing, cultural communication, events

Publications (selection)

People Magazine – The Guardian – Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung – WWF – The Independent – Der Tagesspiegel – Die Welt – Focus – Bild – NBC – CBS – ABC News – Fox – The China Post – Seattle Times – Toronto City News – Taiwan News – Südkurier – Stuttgarter Nachrichten – as well as numerous other national and international media.

Fine Art: Print and presentation

Each work by Steffen Freiling is created with the highest standards – not only conceptually, but also in its execution. The choice of medium, paper, and presentation is an integral part of the artistic process and significantly shapes the perception of the image.

The editions are produced primarily as giclée prints on museum-quality papers such as Canson Infinity Rag Photographique or Hahnemühle William Turner and German Etching. For brilliant, high-definition renderings in a contemporary aesthetic, ChromaLuxe prints on aluminum are also used – known for their outstanding qualities in color, detail, and durability.

In Europe, the fine art prints are created in close collaboration with Remo Eyer Fine Art Printing in Zurich – a studio specializing in the sophisticated production of photographic art, renowned for its meticulous precision and close cooperation with artists.

For North America, production is handled by Blazing Editions in East Greenwich, Rhode Island – an internationally recognized fine art studio with an excellent reputation for its ChromaLuxe printing as well as for large-format, collector-grade print editions.

Both partners stand for the highest material quality, color-accurate reproduction, and a deep understanding of artistic intention – values that reflect Freiling’s approach to photography as a physical art object.

Small formats and artist proofs are produced personally in our own studio on a Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1100 – with equally high precision and care. Depending on the work, custom-made frames are used, often in collaboration with the print studios or with Halbe magnetic frame systems.

This high level of attention to every detail is not an end in itself, but rather an expression of a view of photography as object-based art – with tangible presence, depth, and permanence.