Events
“The solitude of the mountains, the river, and the vast landscape provided the ideal environment for me to delve, once again, into a pace, rhythm and process-led practice that forces us to unearth questions about work, process and our role as lens-based practitioners.” – Jess Holdengarde
The Verzasca Foto Festival 2024 was hosted in Casa Azul, in Ticino, a small town near Lorcarno and the Verzasca Valley in Switzerland. I returned to the valley, where I had undergone a three week residency with Verzasca Foto and Stills to present my research in an artist talk and attend the festival. The festival brought together a diverse group of international photographers, each offering fresh and engaging perspectives on contemporary photography in Europe and more globally – It was a refreshing exchange of lens-based practices nestled in an inspiring setting. Check out Stills instagram highlight on this if you haven’t already!
Across three days, The Verzasca Foto Festival fostered connections between curators, artists, musicians, photographers, and the local community while showcasing work at an international level within the rural and breathtaking setting of Verzasca Valley.
The Verzasca Foto Association and their amazing team were able to achieve a unique balance by raising important questions in contemporary photography in our current climate. Thank you again to Alfio and his team for the opportunity to witness and be a part of this experience.
Following the festival, I returned to the valley to complete and close-off my project exploring intimacy, sustainability, and human and non-human connection in lens-based practices. The solitude of the mountains, the river, and the vast landscape provided the ideal environment for me to delve, once again, into a pace, rhythm and process-led practice that forces us to unearth questions about work, practice and our role as lens-based practitioners. These spaces of intimacy with the camera are reminders that the photographic lens can create a momentum in perspective which in turn leads us into spaces of personal refuge and magical realism.
With only a few days left in Switzerland and the desire to repeat these moments of reflection and refuge that I experienced in July, I undertook another solo summit into the mountains.
With just my camera, sleeping gear, and sound equipment, I followed the river into the Alpine mountains and spent the night in a refuge tucked between the peaks, stars, and dry riverbeds.
“I moved up through the valley that follows the river from Brione, following a single track road, passing mountain homes and communities finally reaching a footpath that leads you deeper into the mountains of Valle Osolo” – 6 September 2024.
“Along the way, I pause to capture the glimmers of the rock pools with my 35mm and 8mm camera. The further I climb, the more striking the pools become, the deeper they get and the colder the water. Filming the body against the warm stone in an attempt to make sense of a bodily presence, the lens and a practice in a time of heightened change, instability and catastrophe.” – 6 September 2024.
I was struck by how my previous solo summit to Pizzo Scaee (2457m) , which included a night at a glacier lake called Lago D’Efra, was met by the presence and sounds of ice melting under the surface, thunderstorms and summer rain. Just a few weeks later, I am spending a night next to a bare waterbed with the distant sound of trickling waterfalls.
“ The valley has changed since I was last here; the river looks different; dry, empty, less water flowing through and amongst the stones/boulders that had inspired my previous time here – the seasons have shifted and so has my approach to my process and practice. I was reminded of how we continue to evolve, and adapt to our current climate and I question how a practice can do the same.” – 8 September 2024.
In a world that feels fast-paced and in crisis, once again, these journeys with my camera, sound equipment and just a backpack allow me to slip into the rhythm of the spaces around me and in turn create a pace for momentum that is more sustainable.
My residency in the Verzasca Valley has been a transformative experience. It has not only provided me with new insights and skills but also a renewed perspective in my work. This time in Switzerland has been instrumental in shaping the next steps in my practice as a lens-based artist in Scotland. I’m eager to build upon the knowledge and experience gained here and I look forward to seeing how that unfolds in my practice.
Thank you again to Wilhelmina Barns-Graham Trust for their funding and support as well as the special care that Tilly and Rob have given in creating full access to Wilhelmina’s archives. To Stills for their ongoing support and guidance, to their amazing team and facilities, I’ve loved working with you all.
Special thanks to Cheryl Connell who has been there throughout this project. To Ben Harman, who worked through the initial research and development of this residency. To Alfio and his team at The Verzasca Foto Association, Mhairi Law at The Island Darkroom, and all the amazing photographers and friends I’ve met on this journey. Your guidance and support throughout various stages of this project have been truly special.
All images taken by Jess Holdengarde on half-frame 35mm film during their time in the Verzasca Valley.
Jess Holdengarde will present a new body of work Glimmer at Stills 7 December 2024 – 8 February 2025.
To read more about our residency partners, Verzasca Foto, click here.
To find out more about our generous residency supporters, Wilhelmena Barns-Graham Trust, click here.