Jules Spinatsch is a Swiss artist
Ep. 256: Jules Spinatsch is a Swiss artist working with photography and technology.
This was a great episode to record as I have been a fan of Jules’ work for some time. The work is a highly complex, but interesting way to propose using photography and photography-adjacent technologies to study power hierarchies and to use surveillance optics to turn the lens on power itself. His latest body of work Davos is a Verb has resulted in another stellar publication by Lars Müller Publishers and designed in coordination with Winfried Heininger.
In this episode, we talk about Jules native Davos and how the history of the town has changed from a quaint Swiss municipality into something of a playground for the wealthy elite to meet at during the World Economic Forum, a contentious meeting of multinational, governmental, and banking institutions in the quaint town of Davos. Jules’ new book examines the luxury transformation of the town’s local shops and kiosks as the forum comes to town and how these shopfronts are transformed into niche information points selling everything from currency to peace of mind. The town becomes a showcase for the world wealthy and Jules sets about dismantling the image that the town solicits to these forces.
In the episode, we cover Davos is a Verb, but also Semiautomatic Photography and a number of other projects and books by Jules. It was an important episode and Jules was kind enough to lead me through the rabbit hole that his work exemplifies. I find myself reflecting on his work often. There is a feeling of something opulent, baroque, and filled with mitigated class despair when I look at the images that Jules produces. On the outside, the images appear benevolent, rich, technical. When you dismantle their meaning, many layers unfold to reveal something meant to be hidden. In many ways, the work is esoteric and designed to get under the skin. Please Tune In.
