Ist das, was ist? (2025-)
How do we approach that which eludes our understanding? Through various interfaces – instruments, practices, technologies and places – we attempt to gain access to the inexplicable and non-material. From space telescopes to dark matter detectors to shamanic journeys of consciousness: they all serve as bridges to something that lies beyond our everyday understanding—the invisible, the incomprehensible, the unnameable. This photographic research project moves along these lines of tension. The visual language oscillates between the devices built to gain knowledge and those moments in which the thirst for knowledge dissolves into the spiritual, the symbolic, the physical. “Ist das, was ist?” (Is that, what is?) does not seek answers, but rather forms of approximation. It is an attempt to make interfaces visible—and the stories, projections, and worldviews that flow through them.
Bis hierher und nicht weiter (2025)
The Glacier Is a Being (2023)
For several hundred years, humans—primarily in the Western world—have perceived themselves as central characters in the story of Earth, viewing humanity as the most advanced form of life and, consequently, justified in acting as they see fit. Today, however, we find ourselves in a state of anthropological transformation: we are gradually moving beyond anthropocentric perspectives, yet remain entangled in outdated views, unsure of how to reorient ourselves. Where are we headed? The stories we tell about the world shape how we engage with the myriad forms of co-existence on this planet. How we speak, the words we choose, and—most importantly—the way we envision the world all matter deeply. We don’t need to “return to nature”; expressions like this only reveal how skewed our perception has become. We have never been disconnected from nature; we have always been an integral part of it. There is no passive backdrop to life—every form of existence shapes the reality we experience. As Bruno Latour eloquently states, being a subject does not mean acting independently on an objective stage but sharing one’s impact with other subjects.
One of these subjects are glaciers. Often depicted as mere indicators of climate change, they are, in fact, active participants in the web of life. This project explores the many facets of glacial expression: the diverse forms and colors they assume, how they shape their environment, and how they blend with it. Glaciers are living beings—dynamic agents in the fabric of reality. They are born from a continual metamorphosis of snow into ice, embodying a unique duality of viscosity and brittleness. From a human perspective, we can only perceive glimpses of them; glaciers exist on a different temporal scale, one so vast it escapes human comprehension. Laden with bacteria and algae, they journey slowly downward.
From 2021 to 2023, Julian Stettler immersed himself with twelve glaciers in the Swiss Alps, capturing their essence in intimate detail. The result is a visual study of glacial expression, combining abstract photographs with close-up images of cryoconite—a mixture of rock particles and cyanobacteria that thrives in meltwater, shown here in red dye—and cropped satellite images of the glaciers themselves.
The main part of the book contains 90 abstract glacier photographs, as well as a 14-page poem by Daniela Naomi Molnar (poet, artist and writer; danielamolnar.com). In addition, three texts by Anne-Sophie Balzer (journalist, researcher, poet; annesophiebalzer.com), Gian-Luca Kämpfen (landscape architect) and David Touchette and Ianina Altshuler (microbiologists) are also part of the book.
Graphic Design by Alessia Meyer.
Published by Sturm & Drang
THE GLACIER IS A BEING
ISBN 978-3-906822-51-8
220mm x 297mm
open spine binding, with folded wrap-around cover
144 pages
90 images
Julian Stettler, born in 1998, is an artist and a photographer based in Lucerne, Switzerland. He graduated with a Bachelor in Camera Arts from the Lucerne School of Art and Design in 2022. His work revolves around fundamental questions of identity and our entanglements within the world. It is always influenced by scientific research and combines empirical knowledge with spirituality. By visualizing the many beings and forces that we interact with, Julian aims to capture the diverse expressions of the universe and challenge viewers to reflect on their place within it. For him, questioning who we are and what we are part of is essential to live as part of a diverse yet entangled world.
Beyond his personal artistic practice, he is a member of the cultural collective anané, which organises a wide variety of events, ranging from brunches to art markets and film screenings. He is also Co-Chairman of Verein Zusammenspiel that organised the 2024 melt dome Olten.
Location
Contact
Awards
- 2023Förderpreis für Fotografie, Kanton Solothurn
- Auszeichnungspreis, Stadt Olten
Exhibitions
- 2026David Scholl, Sabrina Christ, Julian Stettler, Schlösschen Biberist
- 2025Atlas Aquae, Palazzo Gregoris
- zentral! XL, Kunstmuseum Luzern
- 41. Kantonale Jahresausstellung der Solothurner Künstler:innen, Kunstmuseum Olten
- 202339. Kantonale Jahresausstellung der Solothurner Künstler:innen, Kunstmuseum Olten
- The Glacier Is a Being, ahoi Luzern
- I'm Only Human, IPFO & Schloss Wartenfels
Publications
- 2023The Glacier Is a Being
Awards
- 2023Förderpreis für Fotografie, Kanton Solothurn
- Auszeichnungspreis, Stadt Olten
Exhibitions
- 2026David Scholl, Sabrina Christ, Julian Stettler, Schlösschen Biberist
- 2025Atlas Aquae, Palazzo Gregoris
- zentral! XL, Kunstmuseum Luzern
- 41. Kantonale Jahresausstellung der Solothurner Künstler:innen, Kunstmuseum Olten
- 202339. Kantonale Jahresausstellung der Solothurner Künstler:innen, Kunstmuseum Olten
- The Glacier Is a Being, ahoi Luzern
- I'm Only Human, IPFO & Schloss Wartenfels
Publications
- 2023The Glacier Is a Being