Florian W. Müller: Equilibrium

Nocturnal scenes, magnificent colours, spectacular forms: Cologne-based photographer Florian W. Müller always finds fascinating images to depict the beauty and biological diversity of animals and plants. Under the title Equilibrium, the Leica Galerie Wetzlar is showcasing five of his series until 24 September 2023, offering insights into amazing yet endangered animal worlds and unusual plant species.

The body of work called Neglect comprises the series Anima, Ikarus, Samsa and, exhibited for the first time, Basilisk. They are complemented by the work Forbidden Fruit, which focuses on bizarre plants. Neglect is a term used in neurology to describe a perceptual disorder. Müller applies this impairment to our interaction with the animal and plant world, employing a distinct visual language for each body of work. Rare or already extinct bird species, stuffed and exhibited in the museum, were staged for the Anima series in complete darkness with only a single source of light to become impressive representations of species loss. The Ikarus series, symbolically titled as a warning of an impending crash due to humanity's ever-increasing desires, presents intensely colourful bird specimens. Samsa is inspired by Franz Kafka's novella The Metamorphosis: Müller captures tiny insects in dazzling, dreamlike and bizarre close-up shots. The black and white Basilisk series, as the latest addition to the Neglect body of work, showcases reptile and amphibian specimens on fine platinum-palladium prints. The fifth series Forbidden Fruit is dedicated to the diversity of plants and displays unusual, in the literal sense of the word, growths in the plant world resulting from human intervention.

Florian W. Müller takes viewers on an exciting journey of discovery. Everything is photographed with great technical finesse, but the fragility and beauty of nature is always in the foreground of the image compositions. This is also how the exhibition title Equilibrium is to be understood, referring to the delicate balance in nature and warning against the danger of destroying this fragile equilibrium through our actions.

Characteristic of the internationally acclaimed and exhibited photographer is his experimental approach to visual communication that challenges all viewers to reflect upon the image content. Müller (*1974) served as a member of the national board of the BFF (Berufsverband Freie Fotografen und Filmgestalter e. V.) from 2020 to 2022 and has been a member of the AOP (Association of Photographers) in London since 2016. He lives in Cologne.

The photographs were taken at the Senckenberg Collections in Frankfurt am Main and Dresden, as well as the Botanical Garden of the University of Bonn. The Leica SL, Leica SL2 and Leica S3 cameras were used for the photography.