The Art of Seeing: Celebrating the Basilica Through Photography
Imagine a world where basilicas are not just dusty old buildings filled with lingering spirits and the occasional lost tourist, but vibrant subjects of a photo competition. Yes, you heard it right! A bunch of art enthusiasts, led by the indefatigable Martin Tag from Weingarten and the remarkable Sonja Heim of the St. Martin Parish Council, have rolled up their sleeves and thrown open a photo competition to celebrate the anniversary of a beloved basilica. Apparently, whether you pray or pray for a decent Wi-Fi connection, the basilica is piquing everyone’s curiosity!
Hold onto your cameras, folks! The 30 best entries from an impressive haul of around 300 photos will be on display at the castle building of the University of Education (PH) until January 2, 2025. If you’re thinking about a fun adventure that involves art, history, and perhaps a hot beverage to keep the creative juices flowing, this might be just what you need!
Craftsmen Provided Particularly Exciting Motifs
Now, let’s talk motifs! According to Heim – who seems to have developed a keen eye for spotting photographic talent – the aim was to capture the basilica from fresh angles, making it look less like an overly filtered Instagram pic and more like the majestic piece of architecture it is. And surprise, surprise, people delivered! This unique assemblage of amateur photographers brought new perspectives, unusual angles, and possibly a few unsolicited cat filters to the competition.
In a collaborative effort, curators Martin Tag and Sonja Heim, along with Dean Ekkehard Schmid and student Ella Kiechle, sifted through these gems to cherry-pick the crème de la crème. Cast your thoughts back to your own attempts at capturing the perfect sunset, only to end up with a glorified blob of orange! These champs, however, nailed it! Each of these stunning photographs tells a story, and if they could talk, they might even suggest that you put down the filter. “You can view individual images critically, but you don’t have to,” shares curator Tag. Well, when you’ve got 30 stunning slices of art, who would want to spoil the fun with harsh judgment?
Exhibited Images Are Available for Purchase
Hold your horses, moneybags! If you’re itching to own a piece of this photo exhibition, you’re in luck! The exhibited images are up for grabs, each with a unique flair reminiscent of a butterfly resting on a fresco—yes, you heard me right! That very scenario was captured flawlessly by restorer Eva Höfle during this year’s interior renovation. Who knew butterflies also had a taste for Renaissance art? With three prints available per exhibited work, it’s almost like they’re saying, “Hey! Buy me! My art can live with you!”
Sonja Heim is pulling the reins on this venture and flaunts an impressive calendar featuring 13 of these splendid photos. For just twelve euros, you can purchase this calendar and who knows, maybe the proceeds will fund the next bizarre art venture they dream up! With many copies already flying off the shelves, Heim is optimistic, predicting that there could still be a calendar in 2026 if the photos keep coming in at this quality. Let’s be honest, who can resist purchasing a calendar that has more art than your average gallery?
So if you find yourself in the vicinity, do make a stop at the PH castle building (entrance in the archways). The exhibition runs until January 2, 2025, and is accessible from Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday until 4 p.m. Go on, get your culture fix!
“People are interested in the basilica, whether they are believers or not,” says art teacher Martin Tag from Weingarten. Together with Sonja Heim from the St. Martin Parish Council, he organized a photo competition to mark the building’s anniversary.
The 30 best entries will be exhibited in the castle building of the University of Education (PH) until January 2, 2025.
Craftsmen provided particularly exciting motifs
“These photos are really what we wanted – with new perspectives, unusual, like you may never have seen the basilica before,” says Heim, who is surprised by the number and quality of the images sent to her. They achieved around 300 photos, often more than one image per participant. The initiators, together with Dean Ekkehard Schmid and student Ella Kiechle, selected the 30 best, which will now be shown in the PH.
Curators Martin Tag and Sonja Heim explain in the video what makes the exhibition so special:
Locals, tourists, but also people who have a professional connection to the building, such as a restorer or a carpenter, took part. From the initiators’ point of view, they provided particularly exciting perspectives.
You can view individual images critically, but you don’t have to.
Curator Martin Tag
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Sonja Heim and Martin Tag only gave three tips in their call. When taking photos, you should pay attention to the color effect, image composition and unusual perspectives. The participants, most of whom were amateur photographers, succeeded very well.
Many photos are open to interpretation. “You can view individual images critically, but you don’t have to,” says Tag. “Everyone sees something different.”
Exhibited images are available for purchase
Many images are about details that make them unique. “It’s crazy how things sometimes harmonize,” says Tag, for whom this is the first photo exhibition he has curated. The artist explains what he means using the example of a photo. This shows a fresco on which a butterfly had settled. The restorer Eva Höfle, who worked on the ceiling painting as part of the interior renovation this year, captured the moment.
The 30 images shown can be purchased at the end of the exhibition. Anyone who is interested can enter their order in a list on site. Three prints are available for sale per exhibit.
Sonja Heim from the St. Martin parish council in Weingarten and the curator of the exhibition, art teacher Martin Tag. (Photo: Lea Ameel)
13 photos can also be found in a calendar that the parish is currently selling. According to Heim, this will refinance the project. Most copies are already sold out.
The Din A3 calendar costs twelve euros and is available in the parish offices of St. Martin and St. Maria/Hl. Geist, available at the tourist information office, the Weingarten public library and in Strobels Lädele at the weekly market. Because there were so many high-quality photos, there could still be a calendar in 2026, Heim predicts.
The photo exhibition is located in the PH castle building (entrance in the archways) and runs until January 2nd, 2025. It can be viewed from Monday to Friday, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and on Saturdays until 4 p.m.
