Sophie Wurnig | Bmkös
Sophie Wurnig is mentee of Anna Voswinckel.
Sophie Wurnig, * 1993 in Ohio/USA, lives and works in Vienna. After completing her studies in Media Design at FH Vorarlberg, she began studying Photography at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie in Amsterdam, where she studied with Paul Kooiker and Charlotte Dumas.
Themes related to the concept of culture play an essential role in her artistic practice. She questions stereotypes and highlights concepts like voyeurism and the act of looking by using the camera as an analytical tool. Her work often starts with observations from her immediate surroundings and explores the emergence of status symbols, examines how objects acquire cultural value, and addresses the handling of cultural and traditional concepts in Austria.
Through exaggerated visual representations, she provokes prejudices and quick judgements, creating space for a deeper reflection through humorous irritation: fitting rooms become photo studios, and slices of sausage are staged in front of the camera. Moments like these give rise to narrative photo series.
Working in series is a crucial aspect of her practice, with the form and narrative structure of her photobooks playing a critical role in the creative process. The act of flipping through pages serves as an experiment with the book format and forms the basis for installations in exhibitions.
Selected series have been exhibited at institutions such as FOAM (Amsterdam) and the Nederlands Fotomuseum (Rotterdam).