Christina Stohn grew up in the Black Forest where she trained and worked as a commercial photographer for Studio Gieske, specializing in interior and still life photography. She then spent eight years in London working as a photographic artist. In 2014 she graduated from the University of Westminster with a BA in Photography (First Class Honours). She also completed an MA in Integrated Design (Distinction), which encompassed both photography and graphic design at the HfK Bremen in 2018.
Christina is now based in Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany. Working as a freelance photographer, she is commissioned for editorial work. Her personal portfolio is project-based focusing on themes of cultural identity with a particular interest in book design.
About ‘Höllental und Himmelreich‘ – words by Christina Stohn:
Even in these times of continuous technological development, centuries-old customs are still cherished in the Black Forest, a region in south west Germany. In many villages there appears to be a deep-rooted consciousness of tradition across generations. In the past, rites and feast days constituted both compensation for and climax to the harsh daily routines of the peasants’ working year. These practices divided the Christian cycle of the year into festive seasons. Their regular occurrence structured village life and conveyed a feeling of continuity.
This project poses questions concerning the significance of customs within our plural society. Seasonal festivals like ‘Swabian-Alemannic Fastnacht’ or ‘Trachtenfeste’ each require specific and regulated costumes that serve to confirm identities, but they are from a past era. As we live in a world which claims to offer infinite choices, why would people follow such rigid guidelines? Maybe these rites are kept alive to escape the demands of contemporary life within a rapidly changing world.
The Black Forest is one of the most visited recreational spaces in Germany. Festivals and religious processions are maintained and show no sign of being forgotten. Even though society has largely become secularized in the Christian world, another possibility is that these religious events have become commercialized and well established in the tourist calendar.
