Philipp Schönborn, 1943 in Prag geboren und in Österreich aufgewachsen, hat sich in der Fotografie seit den Achtziger Jahren eine ganz eigene Nische geschaffen. Die Fotografie als Kunstmedium sah sich lange Zeit mit dem Vorwurf konfrontiert, über die reine Abbildung nicht hinausgehen zu können. Schönborn’s Arbeiten widerprechen dieser Annahme in zweifacher Hinsicht: Er verbindet zum Einen die Fotografie oft mit einem skulpturalen Element, indem er seine Arbeiten in Aluminiumkästen zu Formgebilden verschraubt. Viel wichtiger aber ist der Hinweis, dass es sich bei seinen Werken um tief religiöse Kunst handelt und dass seine Bilder, die eigentlich immer im Rahmen einer Serie entstehen, eben nicht an der Abbildung der profanen und direkt sichtbaren Wirklichkeit interessiert sind, sondern auf den Geist der Orte hinweisen sollen, denen sie sich widmen.
http://www.philippschoenborn.de/–
In his compelling approach to the means of photography
Philipp Schönborn explores a concise range of themes that is displayed in the remarkable techniques he employs: in featuring art works and specific moments in nature he is guided by his faible for light and color. His analogue and digital exposures are mostly displayed as serial tableaux. Moreover the artist is known for his singular use of lightboxes. He received public attention when he transformed the lightboxes into shaped tableaux as well as sculptural objects. Recently he set out to depict the history of art collections in creating his own meta-museum in form of large tableaux.
Born in 1943 in Prague he was exiled to Austria with his family. Trained as an engeneer he settled in Germany to become a well known photographer documenting contemporary art. Since 1996 his work has been represented by Emmanuel Walderdorff Gallery. Previous solo exhibitions at the gallery in Cologne include Maria (2001); lands of rape (Rapslandschaften) (2003); Looking up (Aufschauen) (2006); From close (Aus der Nähe) (2010). In 2016, *900* marked his first show at the Molsberg Walderdorff Gallery followed by the site specific contribution there to Magic in 2018.
Opening November 18, 2018, the Cathedral of Vienna is hosting the artist’s Elizabeth of Hungary, (Elisabeth von Thüringen).
The artist’s work has been subject of solo exhibitions at major venues in Europe. In 2017, the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna presented his solo exhibition Collection (Sammlung) consisting of 16 monumental tableaux depicting artcollections. In 2010 he showed On Art (Zu Kunst) in Forum am Schillerplatz, Vienna. In 2005 he was the second artist to open the newly founded Museum of Photography Berlin with Holy Land (Heiliges Land); various group exhibitions featured his work, recently at the b-05 bunkers in Montabaur, Germany. The Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein included his work in their inventive dialogues (2002), the Collection Würth showed his work among the classical masters like Picasso, Max Ernst and Max Beckmann in Palermo, Italy (2005), Rorschach, Switzerland Premiere (2013) and the Netherlands (2015).
Work by the artist is held in public and private collections including the Museum of Photography Berlin; Collection Würth, Rorschach, Switzerland.
The artist lives and works in Munich and Molsberg.
http://www.philippschoenborn.de/ 
