Sophie Thun Channels Darkroom Romance in New Switzerland Show

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For photographer Sophie Thun, who’s based in Vienna, the darkroom serves as a place for experimentation and solace. In her latest exhibit at Musée Cantonal des Beaux-Arts titled Wet Rooms, she invites viewers to experience this intimate and mystical workspace, highlighting her deep analog craft, and evoking a sense of charm with its soft red tones and undulating chemical solutions.

Exploring themes of size and illusion, Thun adorns the gallery with collages consisting of photograms and large-scale prints. By superimposing her own likeness onto spaces she has occupied – homes, studios, and exhibition halls – she becomes part of a legacy of women using the concept of “mise-en-abyme” – an image within an image – as a tool for introspection and defiance.

In a unique twist, artist Thun challenges traditional representations of the female nude and explicit imagery. As the museum puts it, “This statement is accompanied by an enigmatic quality.” Thun’s portrayal of the female body is fragmented, duplicated, and reorganized in such a way that it seems present yet elusive – existing at once in multiple places and nowhere specific.

Wet Rooms is now on view in Lausanne, Switzerland through August 10.

Musée Cantonal des Beaux-Arts
Pl. de la Gare 16,
1003 Lausanne, Switzerland

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2025-04-16 23:55