Ritsch Sisters (AT/US, b. 1984, 1988) are sisters who have worked independently in the field of photography and audio visual media over the past years. At the beginning of 2020, they began working as an artist duo for their joint ‘Ritsch Sisters’ project. Collaborating from afar – with Maria based in Vienna and Anna in New York City – their works combine photography and video to explore the tensions between the physical, spatial, and emotional.
Together Apart is a captivating exploration of connection, separation, and dialogue through the lens of Anna and Maria Ritsch. The project delves into themes of memory, perception and experience, capturing the essence of togetherness and separation between Vienna, New York and the wider world. Throughout, the Ritsch sisters intertwine their individual and collaborative works, blurring the boundaries of authorship to create a unified artistic expression.
Many of the project’s images depict moments of connection and disconnection, featuring portraits, body shots, still lifes and landscapes. The skin, a recurring motif, serves as both a boundary and a point of contact, symbolising the intersection between our inner selves and the outside world. The photographs are arranged in a playful and unconventional manner, alternating between vibrant and muted hues, with both colour and black-and-white images.
Together Apart delves into profound questions of identity, societal change, and the human experience. It serves as a meditative exercise, inviting viewers to contemplate how memory, organisation and lived experiences shape our perception of the world.