Marie Tomanová

#1 min Marie Tomanová

16. 6. 2021

Marie Tomanová, It Was Once My Universe, 2019–ongoing
Marie Tomanová, It Was Once My Universe, 2019–ongoing
#39 Delight, PainWantedMemory

It Was Once My Universe is the story of a homecoming after a decade in the United States. The family farm – a dream house, a refuge for the imagination in exile – has become a foreign and uncanny world apart, moving in its own time field. But snow – a catalyst of memories and a symbol of new beginnings – has, in its infinite whiteness, the power to annihilate the years and distances traversed and recall the most deeply buried experiences. Thus the winter sends Marie Tomanová on a slow-paced voyage through her past. The sign “Private Property” on the gate seems to warn us that the domain of someone else’s memories is impenetrable; and yet by nudging open the gate, we may discover, in dense and expressive photographs like these, a small part of the secret that lies hidden in the life of the mind and soul of each one of us.

All images: Marie Tomanová, It Was Once My Universe, 2019–ongoing

#39 Delight, PainWantedMemoryPhotobooksFamilyIdentityIntimacyDelight, pain

Marie Tomanová

lives and works in New York. Displacement, site, community, identity, memories – all these are among the central themes of her photographs and videos. Tomanová was nominated for the prestigious Louis Roedered Discovery Award 2021 at the Rencontres d’Arles photography festival in France, where she will introduce the newest works from the It Was Once My Universe cycle, curated by French curator Sonia Voss. The Hatje Cantz publishing house will put out her second monograph, New York New York, with a foreword by Kim Gordon and an introduction by Thomas Beachdel, in the summer of 2021. marietomanova.com

#39 Delight, Pain

e feel like revising our relationships. This time, relationships between people. Relationships between genders whose borders are not as firm as we might have thought until recently – instead, they are entirely permeable. Society responds to non-binary or transformative identities in various ways: with sexism, vehement exclusion, hidden exclusion, glass ceilings or attempts at inclusion. The proportion of these forces is constantly developing and changing and we decided to focus on them, and not alone. We opted for an experiment, and invited, as guest editors, the collective of the studio of New Aesthetics at the Department of Photography at FAMU, Prague: Nikol Czuczorová, Nikolaj Jessen, Andrej Kiripolský, Zuzana-Markéta Macková, Tobias Páral, Ezra Šimek, Leevi Toija, Max Vajt and Hynek Alt with Jen Kratochvil. This collaboration broadened our perspective to include the age group of those currently studying. Together, we arrived not only at the result of the printed issue but also at a new form of digital content – a series of podcasts and videos. Our guests helped sensitize and materialize the themes depicted on the mental map they created when conceiving the issue, lobbying for a revision of our established perception of the selected aggregate that forms the backbone of the magazine’s content: pleasure, pain, chaos, jouissance, anxiety, responsibility, orgasm, non-binary language, activism, perversion, social experiment. The chain of association can continue as you browse the pages of the magazine or listen to the podcasts, whose considerable ambition is to use the spoken word to discuss visual art. It will be delight accompanied by pain – otherwise it would not be delight at all.

Rencontres d’Arles 2025

#6 min Markéta Kinterová

Rencontres d’Arles 2025

Fotograf zone Review

The Rencontres d’Arles Festival is the world’s oldest photography festival and probably also the most visited. As its name suggests, it is an opportunity for encounters. Alongside the official program, dozens of spontaneous events, initiatives, and exhibitions emerge, both official and unofficial, transforming the town into a vibrant cultural organism. This year, I had the opportunity to experience the Rencontres d’Arles Festival through the eyes of someone who moves between their own artistic and pedagogical practice and above all as someone who believes that photography has the power not only to depict but also to shape the social context.

Robert Gabris – Acts of Provocation and Self-Protection or the Power of Prohibition and Taboos

#2 min Laura Amann, Robert Gabris

Robert Gabris – Acts of Provocation and Self-Protection or the Power of Prohibition and Taboos

#48 About MeProfileLGBTQ+

Robert Gabris’ practice confronts viewers with a provocative exploration of domesticity, queer identity, and societal marginalisation. Keenly aware of the dangers of exoticisation and institutional exploitation, Gabris navigates the complexities of representing Roma life while paying homage to his culture, family, and their lived experiences. This strategic artistic endeavour confronts the harsh realities of systemic discrimination and neglect faced by Roma citizens, while also interrogating notions of inclusivity and identity politics as well as ways of giving back to Roma people instead of providing mere representation.

„Life passes and is mirrored in the image.“ – photographer Marie Tomanová in an open conversation

#7 min Marie Tomanová, Jan Hladonik

„Life passes and is mirrored in the image.“ – photographer Marie Tomanová in an open conversation

Fotograf zone InterviewSelfportrait

Marie Tomanová is one of the most prominent faces of the contemporary photographic scene, whose portraits explore intimacy, identity and the transformation of relationships over time. In this interview, she looks back on her exhibitions in Arles and New York, discusses her relationship with Libuše Jarcovjáková, shares her experience of making the documentary "The World Between Us", and talks about the power of mirroring that permeates her work.