Volkmar Kühn

Over the last two years there have been several occasions to photograph Volkmar Kühn and his wife Marita Kühn-Leihbecher.

Trostburg, South Tyrol (2021)

A highlight was the long journey from eastern Thuringia to South Tyrol in September 2021 to explore the venerable Trostburg for a potential exhibition. Four of us, that is, without Kuno. Their four-legged friend would hardly have fit comfortably in the car and would probably not have been able to enjoy the trip much.

We human beings, on the other hand, succeeded. The area is breathtaking, despite the fact that it seems to be heavily developed for tourism. The sun's rays fell flatter than the slope on which the Trostburg is enthroned. As a chauffeur, I enjoyed the steep ascent. For the final spurt, we had to retract the side mirrors of the VW Caddy for a streak-free passage through the castle gate. The first mountain track for my racing repertoire.

The mountains behind the castle, the green under the sky and Volkmar Kühn, his wife and other guests in the winding corridors provided photogenic material. However, the first snapshot remains in my memory and gave me the most pleasure. To have been able to capture the artist away from the context of his work and art and culture in general, but in an everyday situation like filling up the tank, was a feast.

Opening of the Mildenfurth Art Storage (2022)

The Mildenfurth Art Warehouse is both the end of an era and a new beginning. Due to restrictions imposed by the nearby Mildenfurth monastery ruins, all the sculptures that had shaped the image of the monastery grounds for decades had to give way to emptiness. This is deplorable, as Volkmar Kühn invested a large part of his lifetime in maintaining the former monastery through guided tours and organizing readings, concerts and festivals, among other things, and thus made a significant contribution to its fame.

The works of Volkmar Kühn and his wife Maria Kühn-Leihbecher can now unfold their effect in a former Mildenfurth granary. For the opening on 25 June 2022, I once again borrowed the wonderful Sony FE 50 mm F1.2 GM to capture a few moments of the day.