PHOTOGRAMS by Josef Nadj

In addition to being a choreographer, Josef Nadj engages in sculpting, drawing and making photographs. The strong connection between his works of art and his stage creations is evident. Josef Nadj formed a deep relationship with this new selfexpressive technique during theatre rehearsals and was inspired to make further experiments with the photogram.In fact the photogram is nothing other than a photo made without a camera, born out of the play of light that falls on a sensitive surface. It is becoming more and more characteristic of Josef Nadj's art that movement is inevitably influencing the play of light.

His first photograms were presented at the Festival D'Avignon in 2010, and subsequently at the Biennial of Visual Arts, Pancevo, Serbia and also at the December Dance Festival in Brugge. A significant selection of his works can now be seen at the Musée des Beaux Arts d'Orléans.

"Thinking about photography, it was around twenty years ago that I decided to try this technique, but somehow I was not satisfied with the result and I put it aside. Two or three years ago I started working with it in a completely different way: I introduced movement into it. It must have been an object made of glass foundat a flea market that started something in me. I thought about what would happen if I moved it. I have been trying this for a few years, and the opus is expanding nicely. In fact, I'm drawing over the paper. I work mainly with metal and glass; these materials break the light beautifully. Last year, during a Japanese tour, I started experimenting with a lighter, because I did not have enough light in my hotel room. A special situation can teach one new things out of necessity: the flame creates nice transitions that a real light cannot do."
Josef Nadj