BIOGRAPHY
We began our collaborative work during our studies of photography at Zurich University of the Arts (ZHDK) in 2005. We conceive and manufacture surreal worlds in compositions of “staged” photography.
"Cortis & Sonderegger’s works are characterized by a clear aesthetic diction. Their image tricks are satirically created, ingeniously staged and metaphorically back-filled. Objects and people take off, hover, fall, ... The trademark in their pictures is the fact that the impossible is nimble and playful, their photographic raw materials are simple fabrics, props and tools. The artificial structure with linkage and equipment, with reductions of foreground and background to an image scenery, with light and smoke machines etc. are often made transparent at the edges of the image, reinforcing the message with digital retouching... the two photographers make themselves known as the true inventors for their visual ideas."
Fritz Franz Vogel, PhD Photohistorian, Editor, Curator
EXHIBITIONS
Ongoing or Upcoming
Revela‘t, International Festival of Contemporary Analog Photography, Barcelona (SP), 3-18. June 2023
2022
Walker Evans Revisited, Kunsthalle Helmond (NL)
Panoràmic Granollers Festival, Barcelona (SP)
T3 Photo Festival Tokyo, Tokyo (JP)
“Me, myself and I”, Cortona on the Move Festival, Cortona (IT)
“To Imagine”, Getxophoto Festival, Getxo (SP)
2021
"Illustré - 100 ans", solo show at Images, Vevey (CH)
2020
“The Architecture of Deception“, B’NK’R, Munich (DE)
“20/20Twenty Artworks Celebrating Twenty Years”, Gallery Bryce Wolkowitz, NYC (USA)
“Athens Photo Festival 2020”, Athens (GR)
“Biennale für aktuelle Fotografie 2020”, Mannheim (DE)
“Rabbit Hole”, Ljubljana (SLO)
2019
“Human Impact”, Künstlerhaus Dortmund (DE)
“Maan/Moon”, FOMU, Antwerp (BE)
"Modell-Naturen in der zeitgenössischen Fotografie“, several places (DE)
“Icons”, Ravestijn Gallery, Amsterdam (NL)
“Apollo's Muse: The Moon in the Age of Photography”, MET, NYC (USA)
“Double Take”, C/O, Berlin (DE)
„Stories That Matter“, Objectifs, Singapore (SG)
„Belfast Photo Festival“, Belfast (GB)
“Photo Basel”, Basel (CH), Ravestijn Gallery
“Photo Schweiz 19”, Zurich (CH)
“Ways of Seeing” by Sam and Til, Abu Dhabi (UAE)
2018
“Paris Photo”, Grand Palais, Paris (F)
“ICONS”, Gallery exhibition at Bryce Wolkowitz Gallery, NY (USA)
“Icons”, WestLicht, Vienna (AT)
"NEXT IMAGE - The Past of the Future", Daegu Photo Biennale (KOR)
“Double Take”, Fotostiftung Schweiz, Winterthur (CH)
"10. Darmstädter Tage der Fotografie", Darmstadt (DE)
“Way of Seeing”, Villa Empain, Boghossian Foundation, Brussles (BE)
“UNVERIFIED", Museum of Contemporary Art/Jacksonville (US)
2017
“Lianzhou Foto 17”, Lianzhou (CHN)
“Landskrona Foto Festival 2017”, Landskrona (SWE)
“Ways of Seeing”, Arter, Istanbul (TUR) and Brussels (BE)
2016
“Nun scheint im vollen Glanze”, Burgrieden – Rot (D)
“Photography never dies”, Wroclaw (PL)
“What”s Up Photo Doc”, Paris (F)
“Wings of Fantasy: New European Photography”, Peking (CHN)
“Grand Prix international de photographie de Vevey 2015/2016”, Vevey (CH)
“Bilderstrom”, Bonn (D)
“Nothing But Blue Skies”, Rencontres d”Arles (F)
“Festival de Mode et Photographie”, Hyères (F)
“Icons”, Solo Show at East-Wing Gallery, Dubai (UAE)
“Icônes”, Solo Show at Galerie Robert Doisneau, Centre Culturel André Malraux, Nancy (F)
2015
“Prix Photoforum”, Biel (CH)
“Prix Photo”, Sothebys Zurich (CH)
“Ikonen”, Galllery Espace JB, Geneve (CH)
“Swiss Photo Award”, EWZ, Zürich (CH)
2014
”For Future Reference”, Paris Photo Art Fair, Paris (FR)
“(Mis)Understanding Photography, Works and Manifestos”, Museum Folkwang, Essen (DE)
“Swiss Photo Award” (Winner Category Free), EWZ, Zürich (CH)
2013
“PHOTO 13”, Maag event hall, Zürich (CH)
“Ohne Titel” (whithout title), Gallery 13Photo, Zürich (CH)
2008
“Make Believe; Biel”, Bienne Festival of Photography, Biel (CH)
2006
“vfg sponsorship award for up and coming young talent”, several places in Switzerland
“Diploma exhibition ZHDK”, Toni-Areal, Zürich (CH)
“Work grants for fine arts of canton Zurich”, Art school F+F, Zürich (CH)
2005
“vfg pool – favorites”, galerie Plattform 11, Zürich, (CH)
“PHOTO 05”, Maag Event Hall, Zürich, (CH)
2004
“Art as Photography" – Photography as Art”, NRW forum for culture and economy, Dusseldorf (DE)
2003
“Schönegg Exhibition”, Art Space Walcheturm, Zürich (CH)
AWARDS
2023
Selection „15th Anniversary Displays“, Der Greif, Munich (DE)
2023
Short-list „Festival Images“, Vevey (CH)
2021
Work grant Covid-19, City Council, Zürich (CH)
2021
Short-list „Festival Images“, Vevey (CH)
2019
„Photographer of the Year“, SWISS PHOTO ACADEMY, Zürich (CH)
2017
Best Photography Awards, 7th Dali international photography exhibition, Dali (CHN)
2016
Winner Category staged photography, “Henry Nannen – Preis”, Hamburg (D)
Dotation Memories Lab, “Festival de Mode et Photographie”, Hyères (F)
2015
Broncolor Prize (lightning prize), “Grand Prix international de photographie 2015/2016”, Vevey (CH)
2014
Winner Category Free, “Swiss Photo Award”, Zürich (CH)
PUBLICATIONS
2022
"Surveying the Anthropocene", Patricia Macdonald, Edinburgh University Press (GB)
2021
"Les fictions documentaires en photographie", Christian Gattinoni, Yannick Vigouroux, SCALA (FR)
“The Architecture of Deception/Confinement/Trasnformation”, B’NK’R, Silvana Editoiriale S.p.A. (IT)
2020
“THE BOOK OF IMAGES”, Images Vevey and Koenig Books (GB)
2019
“Civilization - The Way We Live Now”, William A Ewing, Holly Roussell, Thames & Hudson (GB/USA)
“Apollo’s Muse: The Moon in the Age of Photography”, The MET (USA)
“Moon Photographing the Moon 1840 - Now”, Hannibal Publishing & FOMU (BE)
“Ticket to the Moon”, Catalogue, Kunsthalle Krems (AT)
“Models of Nature in Contemporary Photography”, Catalogue, Imhof (DE)
2018
"Double Take", images from the series ICONS, published by Thames & Hudson (GB/USA), Lars Müller (CH), Seigensha (JP)
2016
“Photography Never Dies”, Catalogue, Wroclaw (PL)
“Rencontres de la Photographie”, Catalogue, Arles, Actes Sud (F)
“Wings of Fantasy”, Catalogue, Photo Bejing, Post & Telecom Press (CN)
“Bilderstrom. Der Rhein und die Fotografie 2016-1853”, Catalogue, LVR-Landesmuseum, Hatje Cantz (D)
2014
“(Mis)Understanding Photography”, Catalogue, Museum Folkwang, Steidl (D)
2013
“Küchen Werkzeug – Kitchen Tools”, Design by Kuhn Rikon, Lars Müller (CH)
2010
“Paarkunst: Anny Vonzun zum 100. Geburtstag”, Stiftung Leonhard Meisser und Anny Vonzun (CH)
2008
“Eidgenössische Förderpreise für Design 2008”, Bundesamt für Kultur, Birkhäuser Verlag (CH)
2007
“Photography, Made in Zürich”, Studienbereich Fotografie, Scheidegger & Spiess (CH)
Collections
• Museum Folkwang, Essen (DE),
• The Battery (San Francisco,CA, USA)
• Museum of Fine Arts Houston, Texas (USA)
• Fotostiftung Winterthur (CH)
• The Nelson Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO (USA)
• Collection of the Canton of Zurich (CH)
• Swiss Foundation of Photography (CH)
• Chicago Museum of Contemporary Photography (USA)
• Carl & Marilynn Thoma Art Foundation (USA)
• Metropolitan Museum of Art (USA)