Graubünden’s highly developed building culture was consistently maintained over the years. Again and again this unique landscape was a special challenge and up to the present day it developed its own architectural discourse, which photography has reflected continuously over the past 150 years. The history of photography in Graubünden starts with tourism. On the one hand it was tourism that brought about photography, on the other hand it was the special building projects resulting from the development of transport and tourism, which offered the photographers attractive motifs. Just as architecture in this canton gained great independence over the last 150 years so did photography become emancipated. And while in the course of the 20th century historically grown settlement structures were altered overwhelmingly fast, it became necessary to cope with this development both architecturally and visually and to find a new language in both areas.

The object of this comprehensive exhibition is to demonstrate the architectural development and to examine how photography portrays it. Which building projects are paramount and how do they appear in the photographic image? What changes can be observed over the last 150 years? Since architecture and photography have played a central role in the canton Graubünden since the 19th century and because they shape the image of this canton, the exhibition contributes to the reappraisal of an important part of cultural history and at the same time imparts a piece of cultural self image to the outside world.

In 2010 the Bündner Kunstmuseum set up the platform “Fotoszene Graubünden” and is augmenting it with the current exhibition in both time and content. Based on the exhibition at the Bündner Kunstmuseum dealing with the history of architecture photography in Graubünden, cultural institutions and galleries in Chur have together developed programmes, which follow up on the various and many-sided relationships between art and architecture.

With the support of Swisslos/Kulturförderung Graubünden, Graubündner Kantonalbank, Boner Stiftung für Kunst und Kultur.

Historical Photographers
August Ahrens, Max van Berchem, Karl Brandt, Adolphe Braun, Johann und Jon Feuerstein, Andrea Garbald, Rudolf Grass, Romedo Guler, Foto Holliger, Foto Homberger, Felix Huonder, F. Junginger-Hefti, Alfred Heinze, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Christian Ferdinand & Hans Leonhard Meisser, Albrecht Meydenbauer, Domenic Mischol, Photoglob Wehrli, Arnold Casimir Roessinger-Jeanneret, Emil Meerkämper, Rudolf Anton Reinhardt, Gottlieb Lienhard & Rudolf Ludwig Salzborn, Albert Steiner, Rudolf Zinggeler

Contemporary Photographers
Hélène Binet, H. D. Casal, Hans Danuser , Lucia Degonda, Katalin Deér, Ralph Feiner, Heinrich Helfenstein, Christian Kerez, Florio Puenter, Paolo Roselli, Stephan Schenk, Margherita Spiluttini, Jules Spinatsch

Catalogue
The exhibition is accompanied by a richly illustrated reader published by Scheidegger & Spiess. It features the history of architecture photography in Graubünden. The contributions by Ulrich Binder, Jürg Conzett, Leza Dosch, Peter Egloff, Hans Frei, Köbi Gantenbein, Luca Geisseler, Marco Guetg, Madlaina Janett, Heinrich Helfenstein, Christoph Kübler, Stephan Kunz, Benedikt Loderer, Gerhard Mack, Raimund Rodewald, Ludmila Seifert, Aline Tannó, Philip Ursprung, Martin Walder, and others, show the specific view of architects, engineers and photographers. In addition it discusses questions concerning the use of architecture photography for postcards, advertising and political opinion making.

Opening: Friday, February 15, 2013, 6 pm
Speakers are: Stephan Kunz, Director Bündner Kunstmuseum and Köbi Gantenbein, Chief Editor Hochparterre
Concert: Curdin Janett and Domenic Janett