My Greek Village - A Swiss Photographer's Greek Village

Wolfgang Bernauer is a Swiss ophthalmologist, author and photographer. He has been interested in science since childhood: his father was a chemist and his uncle invented polarising filters. The exposed glass plates and old equipment from the family collection were his first inspiration for photographic experiments. After studying medicine, he trained in photography and produced his first art history reports. His work is characterised by a deep respect and keen interest in the cultural and social life of people living in the peripheral regions of the Alps and in Greece. His studies and photographs focus on traditional life, living conditions, the calendar of festivals and old craft techniques. A stay of several weeks in Olymbos, located in the mountainous region of Karpathos, initiated the long-term project My Greek Village in 1996. Another major project is called Alpine Life. Through the conscious inclusion of the cultural environment, the portrait studies take on a contemporary historical dimension. Wolfgang Bernauer has published numerous articles and images in print and online media. These include: ColorFoto, fotoforum, Foto-Magazin, Photographie, Reise und Kultur and Schwarzweiss.