Within the work ‘gruss und kuss, die berge sind schön’ (‘hugs and kisses, the mountains are beautiful’) the mountainside presents itself as a product for vacation and sports, as model-like scenery of perception and background for the everlasting longing for unaffected nature. That’s what modern tourism is about: You want to spend your vacation in adventurous surroundings, experience beauty and wilderness on the one hand and go up the mountain via cable car and order your portion of fries while enjoying the view safely on the other hand. It’s the gap between the images in our head and reality that interests me and besides all criticism and irony I find lots of beauty and humor in it too.
Text and images © Bärbel Praun