The series adopts the structure of Lonely Planet’s seven categories: activities, shopping, places of interest, eating, sleeping, transport, and guided tours. The juxtaposition of texts and images emphasises both the fragility of meaning attached to visual signs and the challenges involved in getting to know a country as a photographer. When the spectator becomes a reader, fiction and reality are transformed into a balancing act. Sometimes the text belies the image, and sometimes the image is inappropriate for the text or even undermines it. Ganslmeier’s playful approach and ironic distance capture the melancholic humour encountered during his travels, prompting viewers to question any preconceived notions and explore the complexities of Polish identity and its relationship with Europe.
Exhibition views
Brandenburgisches Landesmuseum für moderne Kunst, Cottbus
Deichtorhallen Hamburg, House of Photography
Villa Böhm, Neustadt
Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Paris
Nobel Peace Center, Oslo
Brandenburgisches Landesmuseum für moderne Kunst, Packhof Frankfurt (Oder)
Villa Argentina, Viareggio
Westwendischer Kunstverein
Photobook
Publications
EPEA
FOG
Elbphilharmonie Magazin
Lovely Planet: Poland was realized in the scope of the European Photo Exhibiton Award and supported by Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Fritt Ord, Körber Foundation and Fondazione Banca del Monte di Lucca