Irene Küng (born 1958 in Switzerland) is a Swiss photographer whose work primarily features urban and natural landscapes.
The essentiality of the shots and the ability to make her subjects emerge from the darkness, in fact, express a stylistic and conceptual proximity to the Italian pictorial Renaissance: her works highlight the rational desire to identify new possible paths for a sustainable future and renewed attention to the balance between human and natural. At the same time, Kung's compositions highlight by contrast the ambiguity of urbanization and human neglect, bringing out a subtle disquiet from beauty. Describing suffering through a refined and dreamlike representation is an attempt to generate a new meaning starting from the perceptions of an emotional experience, it is an abstraction that leads the artist from the darkest areas to the meditative dimension, up to the unconscious spaces of the soul.[1]
Career
Küng began her career in graphic design and painting before shifting to photography, where she has been recognized internationally for her approach to architectural and natural subjects.[2][3][4]
Küng has achieved international recognition with many exhibitions in New York, London, Milan, Beijing and Moscow. She has exhibited at the Bozar Museum in Brussels, Belgium, at the Palazzo della Ragione in Milan and in the spectacular surroundings of the Certosa San Giacomo in Capri, Italy.
Her work has appeared in numerous international magazines such as The New York Times Magazine, The Sunday Times Magazine, Sette del Corriere della Sera, China Daily and was selected by the international jury at ParisPhoto 2010.[5]
The book Trees follows The Invisible City, on architecture photographs, that was published in 2012 in English, Italian, French and Chinese.[8]
In 2018 Küng worked with Porsche to celebrate the launch of the new 911. Her photographs depict landscapes and cities, with the 911 embedded within them in such a way that the viewer only perceives the sports car at a second glance. Irene Kung: “The 911 is a style icon. Although the design has developed over time, it still remains true to form. My pictures are narrative and that is what they have in common with paintings. They are like film scenes whose complete story can be created by the viewer."[9]
Since 2018 four of her works from the Invisible Cities series have been part of Civilization: The Way We Live Now, a travelling exhibition curated by Willian Ewing, Holly Roussell Perret-Gentil and Bartomeu Marí of FEP. The exhibition has already toured eight major venues in Asia, Oceania and Europe such as the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art in Beijing, the Musée des Civilisations de l’Europe et de la Méditerranée (Mucem) in Marseille and the Saatchi Gallery in London. [10]
Exhibiting new works by Irene Küng at Chiaroscuro Contemporary Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA, and additional photographs at Chiaroscuro in Scottsdale, Arizona, USA
2009
Goedhuis Contemporary, London, UK
2010
Oltre il Reale, Forma Centro Internazionale di Fotografia, Milan, Italy
A collective fall exhibition, including Irene Küng's pieces, at Chiaroscuro Contemporary Art, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
The Garden of Wonders, Fruits and Legumes Cluster, EXPO 2015, Milan
2016
Guarienti, una bottega, Castello di Conversano, Apulia, Italy
Les Racines du Ciel, Saanen, Switzerland
2017
Seasonal exhibitions "Holiday Show" and "Spring Show" featuring Irene Küng among others, at Chiaroscuro Contemporary Art, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
Sea(e)scapes. Visioni di Mare, Galleria Contrasto, Milan, Italy
2018
Irene Küng's works featured in various seasonal group shows at Chiaroscuro Contemporary Art, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
Il Giardino Incantato, Galleria Contrasto, Milan, Italy
2019
Participation in the Spring Group Show Chiaroscuro Contemporary Art, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
Civilization: The Way We Live Now at UCCA Beijing, Beijing, China
2020
The Edges and fall exhibitions showcasing Irene Küng's contributions at Chiaroscuro Contemporary Art, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
2021
Inspired By The Land in its first and second parts, featuring works by Irene Küng at Chiaroscuro Contemporary Art, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
La fotografia a Capri: una storia di sguardi, Certosa di San Giacomo, Capri
2022
Building an art bridge between Italy and Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia
2023
Exhibitions like "Inspired by the Land & Sea" and "Civilization: The Way We Live Now" at the Saatchi Gallery, London, UK, including Irene Küng's artistry
2024
Winter exhibitions focusing on medium = paper and another group show including Irene Küng's work at Chiaroscuro Contemporary Art, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
