Sophie Thun (born 1985, lives in Vienna, Austria)

Sophie Thun works primarily with analogue photographic techniques, spaces, processes and conditions of production and exhibition. Her work is deeply connected to the context of self-portraiture in European art history, weaving together references dating back to the 16th century, and from there focusing on the unfavourable situation in the art system that young, aspiring contemporary artists are facing today.

Thun spends much of her time in the darkroom, bringing her body into direct contact with the photographic paper. In this way, she creates shadows and traces, which she incorporates into new images and transforms into complex arrangements in space. By working directly on the photographic work, the painting, which is the origin of her artistic means of expression, is always recognised and visualised.