The international Art MagazineOLIVER MARK VIEW OF LIECHTENSTEIN’S NATIONAL DAY
The 15th August is a special day in the calendar of the Principality of Liechtenstein. It is the National Day that was introduced for the first time in 1940 and expressed a common desire for sovereignty. To the present day, it is celebrated with a festival for both young and old. Internationally recognized photographer, Oliver Mark, took the opportunity to capture the special atmosphere of the day with his camera, chronicling the state holiday for the year 2012. Celebrations, joyfulness and happiness on Liechtenstein’s national holiday brought together residents and friends from home and abroad. Titled «Oliver Mark’s look at Liechtenstein National Day» the Liechtenstein National Museum unveiled the results of the «photo shoot» for the state holiday of 2012. There are a total of 35 photographs, of which 21 cover the period March 2012 to 25th August 2012, showing a cosmopolitan joyous Liechtenstein.
Oliver Mark lives and works in Berlin and has photographed for Architectural Digest, Rolling Stone, The Mirror, SZ Magazine, Stern, Time Magazine, Vanity Fair, Vogue, Time and world art. He has had solo exhibitions in Bonn, Kassel, Cologne, London, Paris, Wiesbaden and Xining (China). Furthermore Oliver Mark has been in group exhibitions such as Contemporary German Fashion Photography in Bonn Women’s Museum, the Photographic Portrait Prize at the National Portrait Gallery in London and at the exhibition representing 40 Seasons magazine in Hamburg. Born in 1963 in Gelsenkirchen, he uses photography to capture, in an impressive way, the essence of a person with his camera and special lighting. He stands in the tradition of art historical genre of portraiture, which was once reserved for the painters. What was represented in the past, in beautiful portraits by powerful brush strokes and bold use of paint, Oliver Mark now displays in international art galleries in his photographic portraits. He skillfully paints artists, architects, musicians, politicians and athletes with his camera and produces artistic photo images of his subjects.
Oliver Mark photographed among many other personalities, Pope Benedict XVI, Benazir Bhutto, Cate Blanchett, Christoph Daum, Umberto Eco, Mia Farrow, Joachim Gauck, Martina Gedeck, Tom Hanks, Dustin Hoffman, Udo Jürgens, Jeff Koons, Alexandra Maria Lara, Jerry Lewis , George Lucas, Marilyn Manson, Angela Merkel, Günter Netzer, Yoko Ono, Anthony Hopkins, Max Raabe, Wolfgang Schäuble, Sir Ridley Scott, Johannes Mario Simmel, Sir Peter Ustinov and Johanna Wokalek.
Parallel to the exhibition shown in the Liechtenstein National Museum a photographic exhibition with 20 portraits by Oliver Mark titled «Portraits» will be shown from 1st May to 1st September 2013 in the Grand Hotel Quellenhof & Spa in Bad Ragaz, located only 20 km away from Vaduz. The exhibition include portraits of Kate Blanchett, Umberto Eco, Mia Farrow, Tom Hanks, Anthony Hopkins, Alexandra Maria Lara, Jerry Lewis, George Lucas, Marilyn Manson, Sir Peter Ustinov and Johanna Wokalek.