© Daniel Sutter
"I look for humanity in the hidden layers of cities -the crossroads and tunnels, the abandoned buildings and forgotten tracts of land. I often feel engulfed by the vast, immobile concrete landscape. But then, out of this mundane urban darkness, something beautiful, almost mystical, emerges."
-Claudia Christen
" The street...the only valid field of experience." -Andre Breton
“Less is more.” -Mies van der Rohe
Growing up in Switzerland, her bedroom facing the Alps, Claudia Christen's eye was drawn early to open spaces, to their spirit and light. She began her design education at the School of Visual Arts in Biel, focusing on projects that explored how societies used and abused their environments, documenting the art and absurdity that resulted.
Moving to America in 1996, Christen saw a world where landscapes were often disturbingly altered. She began photographing these vast commercial spaces, quickly constructed to satisfy daily needs, but drained of any spirit or history. While working as a designer and photographer for top firms in New York and San Francisco, including Smart Design and the architect Aldo Rossi, she continued to seek out and document these massive social artifacts - from the aging New Jersey ocean ports and Coney Island shore to the commercial deserts of Middle America.
In 2004, after graduating from the International Center of Photography's program in Documentary Photography and Photojournalism, Christen began freelance work on major design and advertising campaigns for clients including Hewlett-Packard and the new identity for the Taxis of New York. She also designed and edited photography books by Thomas Dworzak, Andrew Lichtenstein and Christopher Morris (My America, 2007 ICP Infinity Award winner).
Recently, she studied cinematography in Switzerland and her short project, the realization, won a few cinematography awards. Christen is based in Bern, Switzerland and in Brooklyn, United States, continuing her work in freelance photography, specializing in architecture photography and film.
EXHIBITION OF “PAINTING WITH LIGHT: THE DARKROOM OF NATURE” https://www.ami.swiss/en/educa...
Symposium in Romania: https://timisoara2023.eu/en/ev...
Grant: https://prohelvetia.ch/en/what...
Surprisingly Swiss https://youtu.be/L8dBOpOKurg
Exhibition: Shared spaces in change, Kornhausforum Bern, Switzerland 11.19.–1.30.2022
Wie sieht die Stadt der Zukunft aus? Exhibition Kornhausforum
Grant: Stipendien für Bildende Kunst, Fotografie und Architektur des Kantons Bern 2020-2022 Switzerland
Asian Cinematography AWARDS (ACA) 2020: Best student cinematography (The Realization)
BlastOff AWARDS 2020: Screenplay, Theme-music and Film Festival, semi-finalist (The Realization)
Los Angeles Cinematography AWARDS (LACA) 2019: Best cinematography, black and white short (The Realization)
European Cinematography AWARDS (ECA) 2019: Best student cinematography (The Realization)
Canadian Cinematography AWARDS (CaCA) 2019: Best student cinematography (The Realization)
New York Cinematography AWARDS (NYCA) 2019: Best student cinematography, semi-finalist (The Realization)
FETCOUM Festival in N’Djamena/Tschad 2019: “Vin Diesel et ma Grand-Mère”
PDN (Photo District News) Photography Annual 2013: „Hesitating Beauty” (Schilt Publishing, 2012), Joshua Lutz
PDN (Photo District News) Photography Annual 2007: Personal project „Relics” and photography book „My America” (Steidl, 2006), Christopher Morris, VII
ICP Infinity Award 2007:„My America” (Steidl, 2006), Christopher Morris, VII
IDSA, Bronze Award 2001, IDSA, Silver Award 2004
How Magazine, Merit Award, 1999 and 2002