Aare I

For a span of eight years, I photographed swimmers in the Aare River in Bern, always from the same spot. This project was primarily a photography exercise rather than an artistic pursuit. I was driven by curiosity to understand what happens when one captures the same subject from the same location year after year.

From the thousands of photos I took, I’ve chosen to present these first because they vividly depict the sheer joy of the Bernese people in their beloved Aare.  One does not see their faces, but I imagine they are all smiling. They float peacefully, immersed in vibrant colors and the embrace of warm waters – a tranquil moment in the summer, a time of renewal and recharging before the upcoming winter.