shashasha

The photobook “Pursuit of Wonders” by late Swiss photographer, collector and scientist Andreas Züst is a journey into the world of ice and snow.

In 300 photographs, “Pursuit of Wonders” shows the circumstances of human life in cold, hostile environments – buildings and research stations, snow-covered landing strips, the vehicles used to get around – as well as a few of the animals braving the cold. But it is ice itself that forms the main subject of this book, in all its forms and colors and scales. Züst’s images show the beauty and diversity of ice crystals at a microscopic size, shining like diamonds; the awe-inspiring size of glacious boulders towering over dogsleds and make-shift sheds; the mercilessness of the snow against human life and the gentle softness of snow-covered landscapes. Parallel to the story of a glaciologist’s life and work, Züst also tells an increasingly surreal story that transforms ice and snow into abstract artworks, and it is difficult not to share his fascination.

The book is concluded with texts by filmmaker Peter Mettler (a friend of Züst’s), cultural studies scholar Verena Kuni, and the artists Jimena Croceri and Sarina Scheidegger.