Nick Brandt at Fotografiska

If you have been following this blog at all then you know that I like Fotografiska (Swedish Museum of Photography)... the concept, the space, the restaurant and, of course, the photography. They have had some great exhibitions since they opened in 2010 and this summer's main exhibition keeps the high standard.

I was off last week, taking care of visiting family and friends, and decided that it was a good time to visit the museum and see the exhibition Nick Brandt "Across the Ravaged Land" (ongoing until Sept 13th). This is the third part in a trilogy of exhibitions/books. Brandt is an English photographer, working in black & white and sepia tones. His work in this trilogy looks at the vanishing wildlife in East Africa through disappearing habitat and poaching.

The photographs are both stunningly beautiful and heart-breaking. One is so used to seeing pictures of wildlife in rich color that his sepia toned images are given an extra feeling of solemnity. Another interesting trait to Brandt's photographs is the way he makes them look like the animals are posing in a studio. Other images are sweeping vistas capturing some of nature's greatest annual events, like the crossing of the Mara River by zebras and wildebeests or the trek of elephant herds in search of water.

While some pictures inspire awe, others will break your heart. I was especially moved by two side by side images... one of a herd of majestic elephants standing in a sweeping line, the other an almost mirror image of park rangers standing in a line holding elephant tusks taken from poachers.

There are two other exhibitions going on at Fotografiska this summer. One smaller exhibit features Anders Zorn, a beloved Swedish painter who was also a pioneer photographer. The other exhibition is Inez & Vinoodh, whose colorful and splashy fashion photography is an interesting contrast to the Nick Brandt exhibition.

Another type of wildlife: Sophia Loren and...

The museum is located on the waterfront of the Södermalm island, just a 20 minute walk from the Rival Hotel. The Hop-on/off boats do make a stop there during the summer. Another feature that I like about the museum is their opening hours: daily, 9am to 11pm. Great if you are in the city for a short stay and want to see as much as possible! Click here for other summer exhibitions in Stockholm this summer.

...Giselle (Inez & Vinoodh)