About

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 / Agentur-Vertretung

Commercial Work: www.offenblende.de

Represented /Galerie-Vertretung

Gallery: www.vornundoben.be

Gallery: www.sowhatgallery.com

Prizes and Grants / Preise und Stipendien

2024 Artist in Residence AGA Lab Amsterdam

2024  shortlisted „Ovid Proömium“ Rencontres d’Arles 2024

2024  shortlisted „Florentine“ Athens Photo Festival: AphF:24

2022  Polyflowers. Aufnahme in den Sammlungskatalog Flora Photographica: Masterworks of Contemporary Flower Photography, veröffentlicht bei Thames & Hudson.

2021 Sammlungsankauf „Petrol Stations“ von der Deutschsprachigen Gemeinschaft Belgiens

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

Collections / Sammlungen

Pro Aviation Consult GmbH private Collection

Art Connection m&n private Collection

Ministerium der Deutschsprachigen Gemeinschaft Belgiens

Clients (selected) / Kunden (Auswahl)

Architektenkammer Nrw, Axel Springer Medien, Brigitte Woman, Canon Deutschland, DSW21, Djinns, Emscherkunst, FRAME Magazine,Four Four Two Magazine, Institut der Wirtschaftsprüfer, KALDEWEI, 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, NRW.BANK, NRW.INVEST, NRW.URBAN, 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 / Lehre

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, Bonn-Alfter, Germany