Helmut and Johanna Kandl take photographs on their travels, but also at their homes in Vienna and Berlin. In twenty-five years, an archive of hundreds of thousands of photos has been created. The photographs, often quick notes, snapshots of events experienced and seen, are mostly source material for Johanna’s painting, Helmut uses them in videos and postcards and also in graphics. With business or pleasure (2005), also published by Fotohof edition, Helmut and Johanna Kandl for the first time gave insight into their extensive archive. Not infrequently, the two artists themselves are the protagonists; however, one always senses the sympathy and empathy for those portrayed. Some of their experienced situations appear bizarre, peculiar and curious, other illustrations, isolated or placed in a different context, often surreal. In the time of the pandemic arose the desire to create a book that exhilarates, somewhat displaces the worries and fears, puts them into perspective. Sometimes humor and wit help to counteract the negative spiral of one’s thoughts. J.& H. Kandl

Johanna Kandl, *1954 in Vienna, Austria.
Helmut Kandl, *1953 in Laa an der Thaya, Austria. They live and work in Vienna and Berlin.