Vanessa Leissring is an artist and photographer from Dortmund. She understands herself as a hybrid between art (influenced by nouvelle vague, the french cinema and e.g. Edward Ruscha) and commercial projects. She photographed for Frame Magazine, NRW Bank, NRW Invest, Universal Music, Wallpaper Magazine..She walks the fine line between these two worlds, capturing moments, evoking feelings, raising questions and encouraging dialogue.
After her diploma in photodesign at FH Dortmund she has been interning for artists such as Martin Parr, as well as making a name for herself by bringing international projects to life. She lived in Berlin and London and founded her own studio in Dortmund more than 10 years ago. Her main focus is people photography / portrait.
In 2015 she started teaching as well. She continues to pass on her knowledge to students at two universities; FH Dortmund and Alanus Kunstakademie in Bonn. Her subjects include composition, critique, analysis and the history of photographical styles.
In her own projects, such as “youth club”, “sports fields”, „adria“, and „amusement parks“ she captures empty places which seem disfunctional out of their natural purpose. by omission, she depicts what is painfully missing in those scenes: human interaction. without human joy, those un-places seem alien, profoundly lonely, ironic and depressing. Empty, left and forlorn, she teaches us how much a place is about the people who fill it with personality, emotion and drama.
For more than a decade she has contributed to her own project “petrol stations”. In this long term study Vanessa shows petrol stations at night. Devoid of human activity their simple, modular, almost spaceshiplike architecture comes into focus.
A recent project is about queer life in the 2020s, queer identities and gender bending.
VITA
Vanessa Leissring
since 2020 University-Lecturer, Photography, Alanus Werkhaus, Bonn-Alfter, Germany
since 2017 University-Lecturer, Photography, Fh Dortmund, University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Germany
since 2015 University-Lecturer, Photography, Alanus-Hochschule für Kunst und Gesellschaft
since 2009 works as an freelance Photographer with own studio in Dortmund
2009 Degree in Photography – Diploma with Honour at the University of Applied Sciences Dortmund
2008 Internship in London, Martin Parr
2008 Internship in London, Magnum Photos
2006 lives and works in Berlin as an Photo Assistant
2002 study Photography at the Dortmund University of Applied Sciences Dortmund
2001 study History of art at the University Heinrich Heine Duesseldorf
AGENT
Commercial Work: www.offenblende.de
REPRESENTED BY
Gallery: www.vornundoben.be
Gallery: www.sowhatgallery.com
AWARDS
2012 Fotoforum Award
2012 PIC Stipendium
2011 Best Portfolio Award Deichtorhallen Hamburg
2010 INTER-COOL 3.0
2009 Epson Art Photo Award
2007/08 Epson Art Photo Award
CLIENTS
Architektenkammer Nrw
Auto Zürich
Axel Springer Medien
Brigitte Woman
Canon Deutschland
DSW21
Djinns
Emscherkunst
Einzig Bikes
Energiegenossenschaft Rhein-Ruhr eG
FRAME Magazine
Four Four Two Magazine
Gabriel
Heimatdesign
Henneke
Institut der Wirtschaftsprüfer
KALDEWEI
Le Grand
Luuka
Mens Health
Ministerium für Bauen, Wohnen, Stadtentwicklung und Verkehr d. Landes Nrw
Ministerium für Klimaschutz, Umwelt, Landwirtschaft, Natur- und Verbraucherschutz d. Landes Nrw
Ministerium für Wirtschaft, Energie, Industrie, Mittelstand und Handwerk Nrw
Mx Bude
NRW.BANK
NRW.INVEST
NRW.URBAN
Schushi
Selfmade Records
Sport Bild
SVD.49
Tagesanzeiger Ch
Tanzhaus Nrw
Universal Music
Unitymedia GmbH
VDMA Nrw
VdW Rheinland Westfalen
Wallpaper* Magazine
We are Yawn
WE MAKE THE HYPE Agency
Zilla Presseagentur
TEACHING
since 2015 University-Lecturer, Photography, Alanus-Hochschule für Kunst und Gesellschaft, Bonn-Alfter, Germany
since 2017 University-Lecturer, Photography, Fh Dortmund, University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Germany
since 2020 University-Lecturer, Photography, Alanus Werkhaus, Bonn-Alfter, Germany