Boris Eldagsen challenged the idea of a unique reality through his images. He investigates the multiverse of the human mind in order to examine the unconscious, communicating on a dreamlike level through the images he creates. By studying and exploring the unconscious dimension of life in a very methodical way, Eldagsen transforms the subjects of his photographs in psychological archetypes, able to open doors, trigger emotions and unlock memories on a subjective as much as on a collective way. Despite over 200 years of psychology, the unconscious remains as vague and powerful as the gods it emancipated itself from. As a reservoir of our past experiences, it stores urges and feelings that we rationally have no access to. And this fascinates completely this German artist. Eldagsen only works at night, with minimal equipment, an in-camera approach without digital manipulation. Like a moth, he roams the streets searching for light, practising what he has termed “Inverted Street Photography”: instead of exploring stories, a place or a person, he hijacks and transforms what he sees in front of his camera into a symbol for the timeless workings of the mind. Some other time he also stages images with models to create portraits of the Collective Unconscious. To develop ideas and impulses for the shoot, he maps the overlapping areas of his unconscious and the models; he is then guided by the dynamics of the shoot to move deeper down the rabbit hole. His visual poetry transports the viewer between the sublime and the uncanny – where the attributes of photography, painting, theatre and art unite.

Education

2013 | “Roger Ballen Masterclass”, Photofestival Belfast (GB)
2002 | “2.Staatsexamen (Art & Philosophy)”, Berlin (DE)
1992-98 | “Visual Art”, Akademie für Bildende Künste Mainz (DE)
1992-98 | “Philosophy”, Johannes-Gutenberg-Universität Mainz (DE)
1995 | “Conceptual Art” & “Intermediate Studies” Academy of Fine Arts Prague (CZ)
1994 | “Visual Art”, Sarojini Naidu School of Performing Arts, Fine Arts & Communication, Hyderabad (IN)
1991-92 | “Media & Drama”, “Philosophy” and “German Studies” – Albertus-Magnus-Universität Cologne (DE)

Institution

2016 – ongoing | Lecturer, PhotoWerkBerlin, Berlin (DE)
2012 – 2016 | Lecturer, Hochschule Furtwangen (DE)
2008 – 2010 | Lecturer, Photography Studies College, Melbourne (AU)
2004 – 2009 | Lecturer, The Centre for Ideas, Victorian College of the Arts, Melbourne (AU)
2004 – 2005 | Lecturer, Akademie für Bildende Künste, Mainz (DE)

Exhibitions

2023 :
Generative & Konkrete Fotografie. Von Licht und Papier zu NFT und Künstlicher Intelligenz (AI). Photo Edition Berlin, Germany
WINNING and REFUSAL of the Sony World Photography Awards 2023

2022 : BBA Photography Priye 2022 / One shot Award – Germany
Wiesbadener Fototage – Germany
Rotterdam Photo – Netherlands
L’Age d’Or – Netherlands

2021 :
Simultan Festival – Romania
Ortung 12 Biennale, Goldener Saal im Rathaus – Germany
19. DongGang International photography Festival, dOngGang Museum of Photography – Korea
THE RABBIT HOLE, parallel to Rencontres de la Photographie – France
Through the Looking Glass, Luisa Catucci Gallery – Germany
023Ч, Cultural Center ZIL – Russia

2020 :
Stadt Findet Kunst, Kurfürstendamm – Germany

2019 :
Photospiel, KarlOskar Gallery – Germany
Voies Off @ Rencontres de la Photographie Marrakech – Marocco
1000 Wirklichkeiten – 100 Jahre GDL/DFA, Haus der Photographie – Germany
Another Multiverse, Luisa Catucci Gallery – Germany
Multiverse, Luisa Catucci Gallery, MIA Photo Fair – Italy
The Colour Out Of Space, galerie 21 – Germany

2018 :
PAUSE, Kochi-Muziris Biennale – India
Indian Photo Festival, State Art Gallery – India
Mystic, Karl Oskar Gallery – Germany
VKUNST VIII: Mein Neues Ich, Galerien Fahragasse – Germany
Luminale: Was macht das Licht? – Germany

2017 :
Close Encounters 3, IndieCork Film Festival, Village Hall – Ireland
BYO Paper, Les Rencontres de la Photographie – France
Festival Miden @ Now & After, CCI Fabrika – Russia
UFO VISUAL LAB, Galeria Szara Kamienica – Poland
The Marriage of Heaven & Hell, Vegesacker Geschichtenhaus – Germany
JUPF / Jadavpur University Photo Fest – India
how to disappear completely / THE POEMS, Chobi Mela – International Festival of Photography – Bangladesh

2016 :
Project Space Festival – Mexico
Varanasi / India
Slideluck, FOIANOFOTOGRAFIA, – Italy
FOLLOWYOUR.PET, XS – Poland
Singapore International Photography Festival, Singapore / SG
The Light of the Night, Projektraum | Kommunale Galerie – Germany
A New Language, Root 1066 International Festival – UK
SUPERHIGH Yourself! – Germany
TIME is Love.9 [Show 5], Spectrum Festival – Austria
Festival miden – Greece
TIME is Love.9 [Show 4], MurNomade – China
Lange Nacht der kurzen Filme, UNION Kino – Germany
Photonic Moments – Month of Photography Festival, ZRC Atrium, Ljubljana
Projektion – Fotografische Behauptungen,
9. Darmstädter Tage der Fotografie – Germany
I am drunk and you are insane, who is going to lead us home?,
Fenster 61 – Germany
TIME is Love.9 [Show 3], Galerie de la Voûte – France
Video Art Festival Miden, TWIXTlab – Greece
TIME is Love.9 [Show 2], List I Ljosi Light Festival – Iceland
TIME is Love.9 [Show 1], Plateau Gallery – Germany
Other Identity, Loggia della Mercanzia – Italy

2015 :
KIK7: Time Lies, Kino International – Germany
Sacro E Profano, PhotoLux Biennale – Italy
Testosterone, Warsaw Photo Days – Poland
Language of Memory, PhotoVisa – Russia
Turn Around Bright Eyes, Berghain – Germany
Simultan Festival – Romania
Festival International de Fotografia – Brasil
Just Another Photo Festival – India
Turn Around Bright Eyes Spin-off, MINY Media Center by IFP – USA
Night of Emerge, Organ Vida – Croatia
Slideluck Roma II, Arena Chiostro Di San Pietro In Vincoli – Italy
Pulse, Noorderlicht Photofestival – Netherlands
In Ambience, Pathshala South Asian Media Institute – Bangladesh
Wink, blink, close your eyes, Midnight Screenings – France
Slideluck Hamburg, Phototriennale Hamburg, Containercity / Deichtorhallen – Germany
Fotonai, State Small Theater – Lithuania
Portrait of the World, Barbado Gallery – Portugal
Fotosemana 2015, Thousandfold – Philippines
Conversation Rooms: BEELDRUIM X ARTWALL – Belgium
Festfoto – Brasil
Fridge, Entretempo Kitchen Gallery – Germany
Bruissements, Galerie Voies Off – France
The Jury’s Projection, Les Boutographies – France
how to disappear completely / THE POEMS, Le Petit Espace – France
Evidence, FORMAT Festival – UK
how to disappear completely / THE POEMS, Projektraum PhotoWerkBerlin, Kommunale Galerie – Germany

2014 :
how to disappear completely / THE POEMS, Galerie Voies Off – France
RISK / RE-culture 3, Skagiopoulio Foundation – Greece
#CROSSWORDS 2, LAGE EGAL & Galerie Jordan/ Seydoux – Germany
Galerie Voies Off @ SLICK ART FAIR – France
Collection Voies Off – France
Hope & Faith, Encontros da Imagem – Portugal
STILL/DYNAMIC: A SCORE IN THREE MOVEMENTS, NONBerlin – Germany
TJockTV, Femtech Uppsala – Sweden
4 Solo Shows, The WYE PLATFORM Gallery @ Kunstquartier Bethanien – Germany
It needs some silence to make sound, ArtWall – Greece
Typologien, Galerie Pavlova – Germany
SCHAU, Dortmunder U – Germany
VKunst, Fahrgasse – Germany
O’Nacht, Festival OBLICK – Germany
Captured Nature, Fellini Gallery – Germany
Photoszene Edition, The QVEST – Germany
Young Art Night, Van Abbemuseum – Netherlands
KIK ONE, Kino International – Germany

2013 :
Best of Voies Off – Serbia
SUPERHIGH World Premiere – Germany
Naoussa International Film Festival – Greece
Wunderlandfestival – Germany
Kunst braucht Fläche – Germany
Parallel Events, Festival Miden – Greece
Prix Voies Off Festival – France
The Night, Galerie Lichtblick – Germany
Jahre Photo Edition Berlin, Galerie Photo Edition Berlin – Germany
Kolga AWARD, kolga Tbilisi Photo – Georgia
Konzert: Sandra hüller & Tom Schneider (VJ-ing) – Germany
Strange Represenattions, Galerie SAW Gallery – Canada
(No) Public Space, Frappant Galerie – Germany
Loopingstar Videoartfestival, various venues – Germany and France

2012 :
p.s., Joao Cocteau – Germany
Espacio Enter – International Festival of Creativity Innovation & Digital Culture – Spain
The Memory Palace, WNDX Festival of Moving Image – Canada
Storytellers, Progetto Superfluo – Italy
Faraway, So Close! – Germany
V-Kunst Frankfurt – Germany
What Happened to God? – Germany

2011 :
MADATAC Mostra, Matadero & Museo Reina Sofia – Spain
Material Conversion, Grimm Museum – Germany
Oracle Nite, MAK – Museum für angewandte und Gegenwartskunst – Austria
What Happened to God? – Germany
Video Row – USA
Expanded Cinema – Russia
2nd Internet Pavillion for the Venice Biennale – Italy
Fantomes &Cauchemars – France
FestArt Festival – Italy
Shadows of Bright – Germany
Enigmatic – Videoart from Germany – Ukraine
Internationaler Welde-Kunstpreis für Fotografie – Germany
Andachtsraum für Kunstverrückte – Germany
See You on tge Flip Side – USA
6th Carnival of e-Creativity – india
7th Berlin International Director’s Lounge – Germany
The Art of Love, 27th International Winter Festival – Bosnia & Herzegovina