TITLE: The Other

THE OTHER is a collection of conceptual self-portraits that delves into the complicated realms of identity, consciousness, and our perpetual struggle within. In this ongoing project, I explore the dichotomy between reason and emotion, science and creativity. I am considering the multiple realities and midpoints that define my own psyche, while urging the audience to peel back their own masks and reflect on their own complicated truths.
The enigmatic and dreamlike aesthetics woven into the series invite the audience to confront their innermost selves with a challenging touch of both honesty and humor. The images beckon the viewers to contemplate the question: Who am I, truly?
THE OTHER is not just a personal journey; it resonates with broader themes in the realms of art and photog-raphy. In my work, I’m always attracted to the undisclosed, the hidden and the unspoken that lie beneath the surface and what that means on a broader level. This project challenges traditional boundaries in portraiture, blurring the line between fiction and “truth,” whatever that may be -- acknowledging that these opposing points are frequently a moving line for all of us.

AUTHOR: Monika Chabicovsky (Austria)

Born in Austria, fine art photographer Monika Chabicovsky was raised in a family with an international perspective, intellectually engaged throughout her childhood with global cultures ranging from Japan, Russia to the United States. Focused and precise, as a young athlete Monika was a member of the Austrian international gymnastics team, qualifying for the World Championship. She went on to earn two master’s degrees and a PhD in the history of science and cancer biology. More recently, she attended an education for photography by prestigious Magnum Photos & Spéos in Paris, France.

As a photographic artist, Monika is a seeker whose work blurs the boundaries between fiction and reality. Now based in Vienna, Paris and a small village in Switzerland, her image making is a thoughtful union of what she sees and finds in the world “out there” married with the conceptual storytelling and exploratory ideas that drive her inner life. Many of her images are 3D as she investigates a layered, handmade dimensionality that pushes the boundaries of the flat photographic surface and offers yet another level of engagement for the viewer.

Monika frequently conjures a mental, miniature novel about someone she sees in the street, ultimately creating ephemeral moments of a self-invented story. Her work tends towards the mysterious, the porous, and the bittersweet, whether it is through the honest, ongoing non-judgmental collaboration with her mentally unwell sister or through her layered, cerebral exploration of identity and the masks she wears, using herself as a vehicle for this universal theme.