The workshop begins with a question: what if photography is not primarily about representation?
Led by artist Marianne Mueller, this four-day workshop invites participants to explore photography beyond image-making, approaching it instead as object, material presence, and spatial practice. Moving away from depiction as an end in itself, the workshop focuses on what emerges when attention shifts from motif to material, from spectacle to stance.
Through practical exercises, collective discussions, and site-based “photography walks,” participants will engage their surroundings with heightened awareness. Photography is approached as fragment, constellation, and intervention—less as a tool for capturing the world, and more as a way of positioning oneself within it.
Participants are encouraged to bring existing works or materials, which will serve as starting points for experimentation and transformation. Together with newly produced images, these elements will be used to investigate different forms of presentation: single images, sequences, clusters, and spatial arrangements. Particular attention will be given to how images change through materialization and context—how they are shaped by space, and in turn shape it.
The workshop takes place at Schloss Gandegg, in the South Tyrolean landscape, providing both a working environment and a field of observation. It concludes with a final presentation and collective critique.
The program also includes a public artist talk on May 4, featuring Marianne Mueller in conversation with Stefano Graziani. Together, they reflect on contemporary photographic practice in a time defined by the ubiquity, speed, and manipulability of images.
The workshop is curated by Stefano Graziani and powered by Eau&GazEau&Gaz, the cultural and educational program founded by Kathrin and Sarah Oberrauch.
Is It About Representation?
Photography Workshop with Marianne Mueller
May 1–4, 2026
Schloss Gandegg, South Tyrol, Italy
Artist Talk:
May 4, 18:00
Marianne Mueller in conversation with Stefano Graziani
(Language: English)
Fee: 300 €
Extended application deadline: April 24
Includes: lunch & accommodation
Participants: max. 14
Application: www.eauetgaz.org
Information
Schloss Gandegg
39057 San Michele BZ, Italy
May 01, 2026 to May 04, 2026
