VITA

“I do not photograph the world in order to reproduce it, but to experience it anew and to share that experience. I am interested in the subjective experience of reality: in what becomes visible when familiar ways of seeing lose their taken-for-granted certainty

Through photography, I question the presumed accuracy of photographic representation. I use the medium to deconstruct the familiar and to shift the boundaries of perception. Whether by rendering time as a fluid element, moving extremely close to detail, or isolating forms from their context, my work detaches subjects from their habitual relationships and opens up new ways of seeing.

In this approach, I feel a particular affinity with Impressionism. What interests me is its break with the idea of a single correct visual representation. Artists such as Claude Monet set the subjective perception of a fleeting moment against the demand for precise depiction. In my slit-scan work, I carry this idea forward in my own way: not only does the representation of space change, but the photographic moment itself begins to dissolve. The image emerges from a continuous flow of time.

I am not interested in defamiliarization for its own sake, but in an immediate sensory experience. When the familiar can no longer be read unambiguously, even for a moment, space opens up for perception beyond learned associations. It is an act of detachment — a return to wonder.

My work is an invitation to look beyond the obvious and to rediscover the emotional resonance of reality. It is a plea for a subjective beauty that often lies hidden in the inconspicuous, in the microcosm, or in the flow of time: a world that asks not only to be seen, but to be felt.”

Steffen Freiling studied computer science in Germany and the United States and worked for more than a decade as a management consultant across Europe and the US. In 2004, he made a deliberate shift in perspective and turned to photography. He learned the craft from the ground up — from traditional black-and-white darkroom work and extensive studio and lighting practice to the technical and visual foundations of professional photography. In addition, he spent around a year assisting and observing various photographers in Berlin, further deepening his practical experience.

Since 2005, he has been registered as a photographer in the official Register of Crafts in Berlin and later in Konstanz.

From 2005 to 2019, the main focus of his photographic work was commissioned photography. His regular clients included the General Secretariat of the German Red Cross, the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, the Stasi Records Agency (BStU), as well as numerous NGOs. His work included studio photography for advertising, portraiture, and editorial projects, as well as documentary assignments and photographic series for books, magazines, and educational publications. For many years, he also worked on assignment for Zoo Berlin and Tierpark Berlin. Photographs created there were published worldwide in numerous media outlets, including People Magazine. He also worked in event and concert photography for various Berlin radio stations. Alongside this professional work, he continuously developed his independent artistic practice.

Since 2020, his main focus has been on fine art photography, while he continues to take on selected commissions. His work 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 on Lake Constance.

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
2025 – Königsfeld, Germany – Gallery K3: The Colors of Summer / Space over Time
2025 · Villingen-Schwenningen, Deutschland – ArtFlux: Flora / Fragil

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)

Selected Commissioned Clients

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

Selected Media Publications

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 mainly produced 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.