Perspectives Part 1

Perspectives Part 1 is the first in a new series of books by the photographer Fabian Zapatka.
Perspectives Part 1 is a limited edition of 300, numbered and signed by the artist, published on April 1st, 2015

Fabian Zapatka shows us images of the everyday. The everyday is - by all accounts - a matter of perspective: Through the pictures of this series we are allowed a glimpse into the particular everyday of basic research in a laboratory for animal testing. The images present us with perspectives that are deeply ambivalent: A pig is lying in a supine position on an operating table, covered by a warmed blanket to prevent hypothermia, surrounded by medical equipment. There is a strong familiarity to the situation, it is a strikingly human image. The pig itself is neither ill nor injured, as its presence in the lab is not predicated on its own health, but on the future, on the possibility of developing new medical treatments for humans. Accordingly, the lab is part of a larger hospital complex. The aim of the research that is taking place in this lab and others like it is to find ways to extend the life of patients confronted with imminent death. By means of photography we - as the viewers - can take part in learning processes with a deadly outcome.
The series of photographs in this book was created during six months of continual visits to the laboratory. Zapatka’s engagement with his photographic subjects over this period of time resulted in images that speak of both proximity and ambivalence. There is a fluidity to the boundary between animal and human. There is Zapatka’s obvious and deep appreciation of his subjects, with a stance that remains free of judgement. His perspective is personal, yet his images speak a universal language.