REGINA HÜGLI
PHOTOGRAPHER, ARTIST, WATER ACTIVIST
*1975 IN OXFORD, UK
BASED IN VIENNA
ABOUT
Regina Hügli works both as a professional photographer on commission and as an artist using the medium in documentary and experimental ways. She also engages in organizing and curating interdisciplinary workshops and exhibitions dedicated to water topics.
After having studied Comparing Science of Religion and Art History at the Universities of Berne and Zurich for several years, she completed her studies at the department of photography, Zurich University of Arts, in 2002.
COMMISSIONS
Being deeply interested in people, their realities of life and points of view, Regina Hügli’s key expertise for commissioned photography are portraiture, storytelling and reportage.
She works for various magazines, institutions and companies in Austria, Germany and Switzerland. Her work has been awarded both by the Swiss and the Austrian Assocation of Professional Photographers.
ARTISTIC WORK
In her artistic work, Regina Hügli uses photography and video to explore questions of “fluidity” of identity and memory, and transitions and transformations in organisms and landscapes.
WATER
The element of water has become a special theme in her work. On this, she has organized various interdisciplinary group projects embracing both artistic and scientific approaches. She has published two books, and works as a curator of exhibitions, organizer and moderator of workshops and public events.
Her water-projects increasingly follow an activist path, questioning anthropocentric behavior towards nature. To support her engagement, Regina Hügli founded the association ONE BODY OF WATER in 2022. In 2023 she was awarded the Austrian Neptun State Prize of Water in the category of Art.
CLIENT LIST
Alverde Magazin (D)
CS Caritas Socialis (A)
Credit Suisse: Bulletin, Infoplus (CH)
D+R Verlag: A la Carte Magazine (A)
Diakonie Österreich (A)
DU Kulturmagazin (CH)
Falter Verlag (A)
Falstaff Verlag (A)
Gruner+Jahr Verlag: Brigitte Woman, Nido, Eltern Family, Spiegel Wissen, Geo Wissen (D)
Kurhaus Schärding (A)
Migros Medien: Migrosmagazin, Migusto (CH)
MIT Technology Review Magazine (USA)
Mobilitätsagentur (A)
Next Generation Media (NGM)
OEAI, Österreichisches Archäologisches Institut
OEKB, Österreichische Kontrollbank
Österreichischer Wirtschaftsverlag: Republik Magazin
Österreichischer Rechnungshof
Österreichisches Justizministerium
Österreichs Energie (A)
ORF Teletext (A)
Red Bull | Hangar 7 (A)
Res Publica Verlags GmbH: Cicero Magazin (D)
Rg Verlag: Maxima (A)
Ringier Axel Springer Verlag (CH): Beobachter, Bilanz, Handelszeitung, Schweizer Illustrierte
Schweizer Jugendhilfe Werk
Stern Verlag: Neon (D)
Styria Verlag: Joomboos TV Magazin (A)
Tageswoche Basel (CH)
TaMedia AG: Annabelle, Schweizer Familie (CH)
Transhelvetica Magazin (CH)
Weekender Magazin (D)
Weltwoche (CH)
Wien Holding (A)
ZEIT (D)
2024
DAS WASSERBUCH, Book Presentation, Alpine Museum of Switzerland, Berne(CH), 20.2.2024
DAS WASSERBUCH, Book Presentation, Stadtbibliothek Gossau (CH), 27.2.2024
Fluid Interdisciplinarities Festival, IHE Delft (NL), 20.-22.3.2024
Open Water Dialogues, Bad Ischl (A), Salzkammergut 2024, curated by Fariba Mosleh, artistic intervention “Encountering Water” 24.3.2024
European Citizen Science Conference, Vienna (A), Presentation of BLUEGOLD+, Natural History Museum Vienna, 6.4.2024
Water Cruises, organised by One Body of Water, Klimabiennale Wien (A), 29.4.-13.5. 2024
The Way of the Water, Tangente St.Pölten, curated by Joana Warsza and Lorena Moreno Vera, featuring “Traisen, She/Her”, 1.5.-30.9.2024
Floodwater Residency, artist in residence, Westwendischer Kunstverein, Gartow (D), 29.5.-14.6.2024
Forum Anthropozän, panelist, Heiligenblut, Naturpark Hohe Tauern (A), 15.6.2024
Traisen, She/Her, Exhibition at the Festival Centre of Tangente St. Pölten. 7.9.-6.10.2024
Vienna Design Week, exhibition FREE GENIE and Water events in cooperation with TU Vienna, 20.-29.9.2024
FREE GENIE at Konsumdialoge Wasser, Steyr, Austria, October 2024
2023
The Voice of Water Bodies, Sharing-Water-Workshop, Natural History Museum, Vienna, 17.2.2023.
DAS WASSERBUCH – Book Presentation at the Embassy of Switzerland in Vienna, 22.3.2023.
SHARING WATER Innovation Hub, What does fair and sustainable sharing of water resources entail?
Natural History Museum, Vienna, 25.4.2023
PAPER POSITIONS, Deutsche Telekom Berlin, Stand Galerie Reinthaler, 27.-30.4.2023
SHARING WATER – participative public event, panel discussion, Volkskundemuseum, Vienna, 25.5.2023.
VOCAL NAPS – performative yodeling intervention, Supergau-Festival, Lungau, Austria, 27./28.5. 2023.
SOAK Biomimicri Workshop, Nature’s Learning Lab, Lake Neusiedl, Austria. Workshops “Water as a Teacher”, Summer Academy of the Cooperative Sustainable Universities, the University of Applied Science, Burgenland, University of Applied Arts, Vienna.
Artist in Residence, Kunst in der Natur, Am Wachtberg, Gars am Kamp, NOE, Austria, 20.8.-2.9.2023
Finissage of the 30th Symposium at the Wachtberg: Saturday 2.9.2023
Crustose, Exhibition with Astrid Rausch, Galerie Reinthaler, Gumopendorferstr. 53, 1060 Vienna, 13.9.-3.11.2023
Vernissage Tuesday 12.9.2023
SOS Water, Group Exhibition at Kunstprojekt BADEHAUS Mayersreuth, DE, curated by Margret Baumann, 23.9.-29.10.2023
Vernissage Saturday 23.9.2023
2022
SHARING WATER, group exhibition curated by Regina Hügli, Talmuseum Ursern, Andermatt, Switzerland.
14.1.-15.10.2022
TREES, solo-exhibition, Galerie Reinthaler, Vienna, part of FOTO WIEN 2022. 10.3. – 22.4 2022
Fo.r.e.st, Participation at the Forum for radical ecology studies, Massiaru, Estonia, 14.3.-14.4.2022.
Rethinking nature, Group exhibition/slide show, Kunsthaus Wien, part of FOTO WIEN 2022. 9.3.-30.3.2022
Romanshorner Luftspiele, presentation of SHARING WATER, cooperation with Frauenmuseum Hittisau and Historische Schiffahrt Bodensee. 23.4.2022
Heimsuchung, project presentation of the association 4REST, Leopolds, Austria, 22.10.2022
BLUE GOLD – BLUE PEACE, Sharing-Water-Workshop hosted by the University of Applied Arts, Vienna, in cooperation with the Swiss delegation of the OSCE, Vienna. 25.11.2022
COMMONS & CO-CREATIONS, Sharing-Water-Workshop hosted by the Volkskundemuseum, Vienna, 6.12.2022.
SHARING WATER, group exhibition curated by Regina Hügli, Sala Segantini, Savognin, Switzerland.
16.12.2022 – 26.2.2023
2021
Rethinking Nature, European Month of Photography Luxembourg, Casino Luxembourg (June 2021), Imago Lisboa, Carpintarias de São Lázaro (October 2021)
SHARING WATER, group exhibition curated by Regina Hügli, Townmuseum Králíky, Czech Republic.
Annäherung – Festival of the association 4REST, Leopolds, Austria, 4./5. 9. 2021
SHARING WATER, group exhibition curated by Regina Hügli, House of Switzerland in Multilateral Vienna, OSCE
Climate XChange, Rivers and Hydropower, panelist at the interdisciplinary zoom-talk, Kunsthaus Wien, 16.4.2021
2020
Taking action for the future. Interdisciplinary webinar with Dr. Felix Keller (glaciologist) and Barbara Anna Husar (artist). Organisation and moderation, 4. 12. 2020.
SHARING WATER, Online-event of the project SHARING WATER on invitation by the House of Switzerland in Multilateral Vienna, Swiss Mission of the OSCE, 24. 7. 2020
2019
Art and Science, interdisciplinary event organized by the SHARING WATER project, hosted by the Swiss Embassy in Vienna, with Prof. Christian Körner, University of Basel.
2018
Rising up, flowing down, Historic Watertower, Vienna
Interdisciplinary group exhibition and talks on circular flow, curated by Regina Hügli and Anne Glassner.
2017
Aging Pride, Unteres Belvedere, Vienna (A)
Group exhibition curated by Sabine Fellner.
Take care, Frauenmuseum Hittisau, Vorarlberg (A)
Group exhibition curated by Stefania Pitscheider.
2016
RESERVOIR, Bildraum 01, Vienna (A)
Group exhibition on Water and Memory, curated by Regina Hügli
RESERVOIR, Book Presentation, Bildraum 01, Vienna (A)
Interviews with scientists and artistic contributions on water and memory. Edited by Regina Hügli.
2014
Photo Vienna, MAK, Vienna (A), Group exhibition
2012
Im Bauch der Rakete, Solo exhibition, Raketenstation, Stiftung Insel Hombroich, Düsseldorf (D)
2011
Babes in the Wood, Fotogalerie Reinthaler, Vienna (A)
Exhibition with Regina Hügli and Sofya Tatarinova, curated by Agnes Reinthaler.
ABOUT MY WORK
”There is great beauty in everything, every person, every situation. Sometimes it just needs a change of perspective to see it. Photography is a way of seeking and showing it.“
Watch this movie about Regina Hügli’s experimental work, made on commission for Credit Suisse Bulletin 2011:
Atonal Music – Photographic Experiments. Trials of Translation.