The fifth edition of the photography yearbook "Further" by the Fotobus Society offers a compelling and intimate glimpse into the current landscape of young international photography. This latest volume, titled "Further 05," brings together 34 emerging photographers from around the world to explore the multifaceted concept of "Home" - encompassing both homeland and the place where one belongs.
Many of the featured photographers grapple with complex feelings of belonging in their work. The concept of home, as presented in this collection, represents the intricate relationship between people and space. Sometimes this relationship is painful, sometimes political, sometimes absent, and sometimes warm and comforting. For some artists, home might be as simple as a bowl of soup or potato salad, while for others it's defined by people, a familiar scent like freshly washed laundry, or the color of the sky. The yearbook reveals that home can be constantly in motion or tantalizingly close, and for most people, it's actually multiple homes - where you currently are and where your heart resides.
The diverse collection showcases the remarkable variety and quality of young European photography through an edition limited to 800 copies. "Thematically, conceptually, and visually, very different stories are told from very different perspectives," explains Christoph Bangert, founder of the Fotobus Society and professor of Visual Journalism and Documentary Photography at Hannover University of Applied Sciences and Arts. The publication features works from photographers including Anton Vester, Serghei Duve, Timjune Tianjun Li, Ludwig Nikulski, Lennart Holste, Sitara Thalia Ambrosio, Clara Sartor, Fabian Schwarze, Kate Schultze, Lea Greub, and Özge Ertürk, among others.
Anton Vester, a former intern at F.A.Z. whose photograph graces the cover of the current "Further 05" edition, particularly appreciates the diversity of photographic approaches in the collection. He notes that the project unites young voices addressing socially relevant topics, and finds this thematic and formal openness highly enriching. "A platform like Further is especially valuable for young photographers," Vester observes. "It not only offers the opportunity to present one's work in dialogue with others but also creates a collective document of our time. Printed works have a special impact, and in years to come, these books could be read as archives of a generation that makes social realities visible from a young, engaged perspective."
Salome Erni, describing her involvement in the publication, emphasizes the collaborative nature of the project: "We start together, learn something new each time, and end up holding a book in our hands that we're all proud of. Further is a platform for learning, for gaining experience, but also for being courageous. This applies to us, the editorial team, as well as to the photographers who are part of the book." She explains that Further operates differently from other photography publications, striving to ensure the book feels like a true community project for everyone involved.
True to tradition, this edition of Further presents exactly 34 selected works by members - precisely the number of seats on the blue photo bus that serves as the society's mobile headquarters. The jury and editorial team, consisting of association members, curate and create the book with considerable time, passion, and expertise. The Fotobus Society, founded by Christoph Bangert, has grown into a network of over 1,700 photographers studying at German, European, and international media and photography schools.
The organization offers its members a broad range of cultural and social opportunities, with the heart of the community being a 30-year-old travel bus that regularly transports members as a mobile photography school to photo festivals, symposiums, and professional events. The unique community has gained international recognition, with British Magnum photographer Martin Parr serving as both a fan and honorary member of the photo bus initiative.
"The photo bus is a globally unique community of young photographers," states Christoph Bangert. "Our publication Further is more than just a book. It's an expression of our outlook on the world. With Further, we negotiate reality. Photography is alive! Together we celebrate the power and intensity of our medium." He describes the photography in Further 05 as "young, political, poetic, and courageous," positioning it as "a determined declaration of love for photography against the cynicism in our industry and our society."
The 368-page softcover book, measuring 13.5 x 19 cm, is published by Kettler Verlag and edited by Salome Erni, Fabian Jurk, Clara Schöttke, Antonia Teichert, and the Fotobus Society. The complete list of contributing photographers includes Sitara Thalia Ambrosio, Lena Bils, Moritz Boskovski, Rosa Burczyk and Stella Weiß, Serghei Duve, Meret Eberl, Solveig Eichner, Janick Entremont, Özge Ertürk, Edith Geuppert, Sarah Grethe, Lea Greub, Minoo Hassanzadeh, Lennart Holste, Paula Hornickel, Jann Höfer and Martin Lamberty, Paola Lesslhumer, Timjune Tianjun Li, Stella Meyer and Sarah Schneider, Mehdi Moradpour, Ludwig Nikulski, Louis Roth, Clara Sartor, Kate Schultze, Fabian Schwarze, Lenny Steinhauer, Bahriye Tatli, Aimilia Theofilopoulos, Maximiliano Tineo, Anya Tsaruk, Anton Vester, Simone Wenth, Jule Wild, and Theresa Wißmann.
