Artist: Elger Esser

Flowers Gallery presents Sky and Sand, a solo exhibition by renowned French-German artist Elger Esser.

Continuing Esser’s lifelong exploration of the landscape genre, Sky and Sand delves into the poetic interplay between history, memory, and landscape, inviting viewers into a meditative world that reflects Esser’s deep connection to France, a country he describes as carrying "history in its landscape like no other."

Esser’s works, created between 2017 and 2024, depict serene and atmospheric landscapes, including iconic locations such as Mont Saint Michel and the Sélune River. These images transcend their geographic specificity, blending historical references with contemporary techniques to evoke a sense of timelessness and nostalgia. As Esser explains, “My ambition has always been to make a timeless photograph—one that can age well, far from being datable.” This approach has been central to his practice since he began his career in 1996, a deliberate decision to situate his work in a poetic realm while grounding it in a strong conceptual framework.

The photographs in Sky and Sand are deeply rooted in the artistic legacy of the French landscape, drawing inspiration from masters such as Monet, Courbet, and Chateaubriand. Yet, Esser’s unique vision, evident in his attention to dramatic skies and the fusion of motif and mood brings a poetic quality to his works, shaping what he describes as 'internal landscapes.' These reflect the artist’s own perceptions, with “pausing, and contemplation”.

A key feature of Esser’s practice is his innovative use of materials and techniques. For Sky and Sand, he incorporates silver-plated copper plates and Diasec face techniques, melding historical processes with contemporary advancements. “Silver and copper have been photographic materials from the very beginning,” Esser notes, referencing the early photographic experiments of Niépce.

Esser’s artistic vision extends beyond the physical medium to explore the fluidity of time and space. He describes his works as existing in a “time tunnel,” connecting the past, present, and future. This temporal suspension is at the heart of Sky and Sand, where landscapes become metaphors for memory and history. Esser adds, “They tell of lingering, traveling, staying, and passing away, a state of suspension between heaven, sky, and sand.”

Elger Esser (b. 1967, Stuttgart, Germany) was raised in Rome, and lives and works in Düsseldorf. Esser studied at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf under the tutorship of Bernd Becher. Esser's work has been exhibited in museums and galleries around the world, including Fondation Herzog, Basel, Switzerland, (2004); Haggerty Museum of Art, Milwaukee, USA, (2006); Gana Art Center, Seoul, South Korea, (2006); Norton Museum of Art, West Palm Beach, Florida, USA, (2007); Staatliche Kunsthalle Karlsruhe, Germany, (2016); Fondazione Stelline, Milan, Italy, (2017); Landesgalerie Linz, Austria, (2017); and Parasol unit foundation for contemporary art, London, UK, (2017); among many others. His work has been published in numerous monographs, and is in major collections including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, NewYork; Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York; Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, New York; Brooklyn Museum, New York; Centre Pompidou, Paris; Kunstmuseum, Stuttgart; Kunsthalle Karlsruhe; Kunsthaus Zürich; Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam; and Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam.