Philipp Wieder
Born in Stuttgart, he settled in Nuremberg after completing his training as a layout artist and spending several years working as an apprentice and traveling through various typesetting studios. He has never regretted taking the step toward self-employment by founding an advertising agency.
Since 2020, his photography has explored the themes of transience and dignity. In the series NATURA MORTA, the fading flowers seem to tell a story; they are able to do so only because they have left their youth behind. These poetic images reveal the morbid beauty of decay. As they wither away, plants once again unfold their full beauty in a new form—exchanging their vitality for a fragile grace.
In his new series, MEMENTO MORI, he expands on this theme with haunting subjects that remind us: Our time here is limited; make the most of it, but don’t take yourself too seriously. To this day, the idea of memento mori can be found in all areas of art. These morbid motifs remind us that none of us can escape death. They are not meant to frighten us but to remind us; as such, they serve as a warning against our own arrogance or vanity and call us to self-reflection on our lives.
Philipp Wieder also wants to remind us that we are giving death—as an existential phenomenon—less and less space in our society today.