Beate Gütschow takes her photo­gra­phic diary to the source of energy produc­tion in the Rhineland and parti­ci­pates in docu­men­ting the resis­tance to open-cast mining. The result is an unusual dialogue of contem­po­rary photo­graphy in the exhi­bi­tion Energy – Andreas Gefeller and Beate Gütschow. To conclude the exhi­bi­tion of her works in the Räume für Foto­grafie, Beate Gütschow presents her new book Resis­tance, Flood, Fire, Resis­tance. in conver­sa­tion with Roland Nach­ti­gäller (managing director of the Stiftung Insel Hombroich).

People on the brink, depo­pu­lated areas, devas­tated villages—at first glance, Beate Gütschow’s photos do not reveal that they show protests, recon­s­truc­tion work after a flood disaster, or the aftermath of forest fires in towns and land­scapes: dystopian events that have taken place recently in Central Europe. Beate Gütschow arrives at the affected locations weeks after the events. In long-term photo­gra­phic studies, she develops counter-images to the usual depic­tions of disaster. These are quieter images that allow for an emotional and analy­tical approach. At the same time, Gütschow is part of the climate justice movement. Here, she parti­ci­pates in and documents actions, occu­pa­tions, and demons­tra­tions: an insider’s perspec­tive in which the photo­graphs form a picture-text compo­si­tion with diary-like notes.