a little deeper than you thought
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The poetic photographic series a little deeper than you thought, by German photographer Nina Röder, was produced between 2012 – 2017 and offers a glimpse into a mystifying world where nature, land, and mythical creatures intersect. The work transports viewers to the natural landscapes of Iceland, Ireland, Italy, and the German Harz region, and opens a dialogue about the age of human impact on the planet and themes emerging after the Romantic era. The mood captured in the photographs reflects key elements of German Romanticism—nature as a source of beauty and inspiration, visionary, rebellion, and mysticism, but also desire and escape.
The photographic series highlights clashing narratives about the uncanny and the unconscious, while also exploring symbols of death and the ambiguous similarities between male and female bodies. The human figures in the photographs perform a physical engagement with the natural world, imprinting an act of inhabiting the space. Through Röder’s morbid aesthetic, her figures are consistently tied to water, representing both the source of life and a simultaneous reflection on death.
However, the human figures create an unclear narrative, as it is uncertain whether they rise from the earth like mythical nymphs, born from the land, or are swallowed by it, vanishing into nature's embrace. The bodies exist not only within the environment but also initiate and carry out an act of occupation. The gentle interaction between the human bodies and the surroundings also reveals a tension arising from the growing distance between humans and nature. Despite an intimate connection they strive for identity as individuals but also for a sense of belonging.
The dimensions and combinations of the photographs and the way Röder’s series has been exhibited and displayed to an audience may vary which introduces new narratives, as well as creates an open space for personal interpretation.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Nina Röder lives and works in Hamburg and Berlin. Since 2017, Röder works as a Professor of Photography at University of Europe for Applied Sciences in Hamburg. She is a member of the DFA (German Photographic Academy) and the DGPh (German Photographic Society.) Next to her artistic activities she holds a Ph.D. in the field of artistic research. Röder’s research focus lies on performative strategies in contemporary photography in the context of contingency. Röder’s photographs have been shown in international festivals and museums, such as the GoaPhoto Festival in India, the European Month of Photography in Berlin or the Format Festival in Derby/UK.
Nina Röder has participated in numerous exhibitions, showcasing her work in galleries and institutions both nationally and internationally, and has also received multiple residencies and awards. Artist Residency: IBA - Haus Bräutigam, Germany (2023). Nominee: TaylorWessing Photographic Portrait Prize - National Portrait Gallery London (2020). Finalist: Open Walls Arles by British Journal of Photography (2019). Winner: Flash Forward Award, Canada. Category: Female-Identifying Photographers (2018). Artist Residency: Chateau de la Napoule, France (2017). Artist Residency: Emmanuel College, Boston, USA (2012). Honorable Mention: Preis der Medienkunst, Bauhaus University Weimar (2009). Solo shows: Galerie Burster, Berlin: MARIENBAD AM MEER – EMOP Berlin (2023). Galerie Eigenheim, Berlin: CHAMPAGNER IM KELLER (2021). Group exhibitions: Galerie Burster, Karlsruhe: ÜBER DAS VERSCHWINDEN (2020). Galerie Eigenheim Weimar: Air between the light - A LITTLE DEEPER (2024). Luisa Catucci Gallery, Berlin: Matrixial Spaces (2023). Galerie Burster: All I want (2022). National Portrait Gallery London: Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize (2020). Publications: Leica Fotografie International 03/2021, Bath in Brilliant Green. Photobook. Kehrer Verlag, British Journal of Photography. Issue March 2019.
For more information, please visit:
Website: https://ninaroeder.de/Index
Instagram: @ninaroeder