The German photo artist Anja Jensen (b. 1966) focuses in her photographic works and installations on the scenarios of surveillance and being watched. Since 2001, the artist has been staging uncanny settings at dusk and lit by artificial light at real locations in nature or in urban environments – scenes that border on voyeurism and policing. Resembling film stills, these magically enigmatic depictions are part of a work series titled It’s for Security. Individuals or groups are shown engaging in ambiguously mysterious activities, as if being caught in the act. The works of this series were created during projects in Germany, South America, China, Turkey and Poland and have been exhibited in several solo and group shows there as well as throughout Europe. Titled Tatort, literally “crime scene,” our exhibition includes photographic works that Anja Jensen created since 2006 during her stays on the islands of Föhr and Amrum. The artist had, in fact, previously used beach and harbour scenes as magical settings for her works, which capture the viewer’s imagination through the staging of surreptitious acts and uncanny places. The people the artist picks to pose or act for these works are islanders, whose personal histories and everyday living environments provide inspiration for her art.
