Lüscher began working on her series of Magician Photos in 1976, during a period in which she was concerned with autobiographical themes in her work, with aspects of chance, Eros, love, childhood, dreams, the migration of souls and reincarnation. She was asked to write an essay about her work for a magazine, but felt unable to find a starting point. Instead, she had her friend Gitty Darugar photograph her in the role of a magician, and discovered in the result much more than she had expected or intended. Now curious, she wanted to know what the outcome would look like with other people, and so she asked guests to perform as magicians for her. That marked the beginning of s series that is still in progress today, a project to which the following rules apply: friends, acquaintances, fellow artists and relatives are asked to perform magic in whatever way seems fitting to them at the given moment. The setting varies but is often in or near her house or studio. Eighteen photographs are taken, from which nine images are later selected and mounted in a passe-partout frame in an arrangement of three rows of three. By asking her subjects to perform an act of creative expression, without script or plan, Ingeborg Lüscher provokes results that are fascinatingly and touchingly unique and direct.
Volker Rattemeyer 2006
IL305.001 – IL305.520
Magician Photos, since 1976
Zaubererfotos, seit 1976
520 photo sequences, including 9 b/w photographs (each 14 x 18 cm), mounted in passepartouts with 3 x 3 windows, wooden frame (80 x 95 cm)
While Ingeborg Lüschers guests follow her invitation „Please do magic, whatever that may mean for you right now“, the artist takes 18 photographs, 9 of them later representing the performance.
Artist book
Ingeborg Lüscher. Zaubererfotos. Magician Photos, Luzern: Kunstmuseum and Zürich: JRP Kunstverlag 2009 (edited by Peter Fischer, texts by Hans-Joachim Müller)
Exhibitions
Galeria Matasci, Tenero 1977
Rathaus, Luzern 1977
Forum Stadtpark, Graz 1977
Gallery for Contemporary Art, Warszawa 1977-1978
Steirischer Herbst, Graz 1979
Museum zu Allerheiligen, Schaffhausen 1979
Gallery C. Space, New York 1979
Museum zu Allerheiligen, Schaffhausen 1980
Galerie Maeght, Zürich 1980
Galerie Dany Keller, München 1980
Galerie Krinzinger, Innsbruck 1980
Galerie Herta Klang, Köln 1980
Palazzo Reale, Milano 1980
Modern Art Galerie, Wien 1981
Kunstmuseum Solothurn 1982
Centro Culturale Beato Berno, Ascona 1987
Museo Cantonale d’Arte, Lugano 1987
Kunsthaus Zürich 1988 (followed by venues in Ludwigshafen, Freiburg, Kassel, Kiel, Köln, Nürnberg and Bielefeld)
Museum Wiesbaden 1993
Aargauer Kunsthaus Aarau 1996
Museum Wiesbaden 2006
Kunstmuseum Luzern 2009
Kunstmuseum Solothurn 2016
Lichtekooi Artspace and LLS Palais, Antwerp 2022
Catalogues
Zürich / München / Innsbruck / Köln 1980, unpaged. Lugano 1987. Zürich 1988, pp 168-169 (ill). Wiesbaden 1993, pp 30-33 (ill), p 96. Aarau 1996, pp 26-27 (ill), pp 92-93 (ill) . Wiesbaden 2006, pp 18-43 (ill). Luzern 2009. Solothurn 2016, pp 71-77 (ill)
Texts
Weibel 1978, pp 28ff. Weskott 1980. Jochimsen 1981. Jankowski 1980. Nessi 1988, p 21. Rattemeyer 1993, pp 36-38. Lüscher/Resseler 1996, pp 92-93. Herzog 1999, pp 38-41. Rattemeyer 2006, pp 18-19. Fischer 2009, unpaged. Müller 2009, unpaged. Lüscher 2016, p 70. Müller 2016, p 154, p 162. Vögele 2016, p 18, p 32
Photography
Ed Restle (Installation Museum Wiesbaden 2006)
Magician list