photo exhibition/ArtShow "Begegnung" ("Encounter")
Preview: 11. Februar 2023, 20 Uhr
Gallery Nieser, Große Falterstraße 31/3, 70597 Stuttgart (Germany)
The Norbert Nieser Gallery in Stuttgart-Degerloch presents the ArtShow "Begegnung" by photographer Bettina Meister from 11 February to 3 March 2023.
On Elba, Bettina Meister was allowed to accompany the fishermen of the boat Padre Pio for almost 24 hours. Unfortunately, she was not able to go out at night, as a storm was forecast.
Many of the twelve fishermen live in cramped quarters on the boat for six months. In the evening at sunset, they set sail with the boat. The small dinghies with huge lamps are used to attract the fish at night with the light. Before returning to the harbour in the early morning, the twelve men take their catch by boat directly from the sea to the wholesale fish market on the mainland. They sell the remaining unsold fish and marine animals over the edge of the boat at their anchorage. This calls for sales talent.
There is no regular break for all of them. The net has to be repaired. Today Mohamed is in charge of that. At lunchtime we usually eat together, today Fabio cooked. After lunch he suddenly disappears. No one knows where he is. 45 minutes later he reappears and has bought drinking water for the whole crew.
The next night, other fish are to be caught. To do this, the fishing net has to be changed because it needs larger meshes. The net, which weighs tons, rolls out of the warehouse on a truck. Massimo heaves it down piece by piece while the others pull it over the roller. It takes several hours to change the fishing net, meticulously checking it for holes and folding it neatly. More teamwork is not possible! Everyone helps. The boss commands. A load of water poured on the net finally reduces its volume before it is covered with a tarpaulin. Done, the next night can come. And everyone looks forward to the next fish hunt.
The artist Bettina Meister likes to look at places where other people look away or leave them unnoticed. In doing so, she wants to draw attention to people and things that other people take for granted or do not value. The fishermen on Elba with their small boats were just such an eye-catcher for her. Hardly anyone pays attention to the people who live for several months on a small boat in complete confinement, many kilometres away from their home, in order to earn some money to live on. People who provide our daily food and whose fates usually interest no one. With her pictures, she wants to draw attention to these people and encourage others to take a closer look.
Bettina Meister says about her photography: "People pictures are my passion. In concert and stage photography, I am also fascinated by the light and the atmosphere. In my free time, too, I'm out and about with my camera every free minute. And in places where other people don't even look, I often discover the most interesting motifs."
Photo exhibition/ArtShow "Begegnung" ("Encounter")
Vernissage: 11 February 2023, 8 p.m.
Exhibition duration: 11 February - 03 March 2023
Exhibition venue:
Norbert Nieser Gallery
Große Falterstraße 31/3, 70597 Stuttgart, Germany
www.galerie-nieser.de
The series can also be seen on the website of photographer Bettina Meister:
as single images to scroll:
bettinameister.com/reportage-fotografie/begegnung-fischer-auf-elba
