Andri Pol – Poliversum

The exhibition is a celebration of the work of one of the most influential Swiss photojournalists of the last decades. Since the late 1980s, Andri Pol’s photographs and photo columns have helped define the look of publications like Das Magazin, Zeit Magazin, Stern and GEO. The major retrospective at Fotostiftung Schweiz presents his eclectic oeuvre, which includes photo reportages, portraits and observations of daily life – his pictures, which have recurring thematic focuses, were taken around the globe, including in Switzerland, Japan and China. Running the gamut from his early work to his current long-term ventures and book projects, Poliversum shows individual images alongside press spreads.

Pol’s images combine depth with subtle visual wit and a keen sense of the unusual in everyday life. He records people, places and situations, mingling perceptiveness with an irreverent, tongue-in-cheek attitude. His portraits appear spontaneous while at the same time suggesting exact composition; his photographic reportages offer up surprising angles on social, cultural and political realities and identities. With his unmistakable style and ability to precisely capture complex themes, Pol ranks as one of the most arresting voices in documentary photography today. His photographic universe invites viewers to marvel, chuckle and make discoveries – it is visually intelligent, closely attuned to the world and full of an obstinate, independent spirit.

Andri Pol, Flugdemonstration Patrouille Suisse Flugstaffel, Armeetage Frauenfeld, Schweiz, 1998, © Andri Pol / Fotostiftung Schweiz