How does Breig find his inspirations? "I am curious about people and about life. With the camera I experience my environment more intensively and more profoundly", explains the artist. What is special about his photographs is the unaffected and authentic, but aesthetic way he views everyday situations. "Sometimes there are little things that make you smile, which you only see at second glance," says Breig.

"An encounter that touched me deeply"

Of course, Breig has some favorite pictures among his artworks exhibited at the Fraunhofer IOSB: "One of them is the old woman on the clay floor, because this was an encounter experienced across the language barrier that touched me deeply. The Breadwomen is also one of my favorite pictures, because I took this photo in a split second and instinctively did everything right. Look, action, exposure time and perspective, everything fits".

Breig has been working as a photographer at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) since 1992. His fields of work include technical and industrial photography, press and portrait. In addition, he also works as a freelance photographer in the fields of advertising, reportage, theater, music and the performing arts. But what is actually good art for him? "When art does not have to be explained. Especially in photography, when the photos tell a story and one likes to linger in them."

In his non-commercial works he deals with marginal areas of photography such as infrared and stereo photography. Thematically, the megalithic culture, Celticism and the stories around King Arthur play an important role, for which Breig often travelled to Brittany and Cornwall.

A legendary group of photographers as role model

Another of the photographer's passions are reportages in the tradition of the "Magnum" group, which also form the focus of the current exhibition at the Fraunhofer IOSB: Photographs of everyday scenes with high aesthetic and narrative standards are the focus of the exhibition. Breig has travelled repeatedly to countries such as Latvia, Slovakia, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Armenia, and Albania.

Breig already knew that he wanted to become an artist when he was at school - although he never considered himself particularly creative, as he reveals: "I was fascinated by the combination of the creative process and the handling of technology." A great role model for him is the photojournalist Sebastiao Salgado: "He manages to take photos of even the poorest people and of war scenes that tell touching stories," Breig explains. "His pictures are highly aesthetic, but without ever disregarding the dignity of the people depicted."

More informationen:

The ceremonial vernissage of the exhibition will take place on January 24, 5.30 pm at Fraunhofer IOSB in Karlsruhe. The exhibition can also be visited after the vernissage, but please contact Marion Staub at 0721/6091-333 for prior registration.

To the website of the artist.