Text by Oman Morí (@omanmori)

For a photographer, the darkroom functions as an alchemic space, where the experimentation with processes and chemicals yields unexpected results. Within this room, time flows differently, and the artist’s interactions resemble work emerging from the depths of the unconscious. These organic, palpable, and unpredictable textures arise from a blend of childlike play and the inner spirit's liberation, echoing the surrealist manifesto's main tenets. Germany-based French visual artist Ingrid Dorner has devised a methodology from her experiments, crafting abstract landscapes to explore existential themes, ephemerality, dreams, decaying silhouettes, and faces, juxtaposed with earthly textures like soil, wood, or vegetation. Her compositions provoke contemplation by merging humanity with nature while evoking a sense of violence.

“A world where pure faces decompose, where bodies are eaten away and sucked up by spectacular nature, where young silhouettes disappear, translucent and fragile. Soft, apocalyptic photographic sculptures that gently sketch out a story. A vaporous tale into which we immerse ourselves” describes Ingrid regarding her series “Liminal”. Processed negatives undergo enlargement in the darkroom, where she manipulates and interacts with various chemicals, guiding them across the developed paper. Employing liquids as her medium, she orchestrates waves that beckon movement. “By immersing her silver photographs in a chemical bath, displacing the gelatin on its surface, and recreating a new image, Ingrid Dorner aims to illustrate that what seems to destroy itself is only a step towards a new composition... as in music, the score is infinite”.

Resulting in beautiful tableaux that invite further analysis, contemplation, and an exploration of existentialism, Ingrid Dorner's artworks offer a discovery of rhythmic textures akin to poems. "Once the disturbance has set in, interaction with the viewer becomes possible... a story is gradually revealed and woven together by a spark of memory, a material that recalls an intimate moment, or an intriguing light... observation gives way to sensation," explains the artist. Beyond the technical challenge, Ingrid Dorner seeks to immerse the viewer in a little existential vertigo. With her provocative style, the artist manages to evoke both comfort and discomfort, mixing poetry with violence.

For further insights into Ingrid Dormer's work, you can visit her website or explore his social media.