Didier Ruef
Encyclopedia
Didier Ruef is a Swiss documentary photographer best known for his portrayal of Man & Waste, Africa and Switzerland.
, Switzerland
on July 15, 1961 and has dual nationality, Swiss and Italian. He graduated from the University of Geneva
, where he studied Economics
(1981–1984).
In 1985, Ruef went to New York, where he obtained a diploma (1986) in photojournalism
at the International Center of Photography
(ICP). It was there that he developed his long-term essay of the life of a Puerto Rican family in Spanish Harlem
, for which he won the Yann Geoffroy Prize in Milan in 1990. These photographs were exhibited at the Musée de l'Elysée in Lausanne
, Switzerland, in 1990.
Since returning to Switzerland in 1987, Ruef started to work as a freelance documentary
photographer and photojournalist and has visited all five continents, with a preference for Africa
. He has worked on various stories on the human condition in black & white and color.
Ruef was a member of Network Photographers Agency in London from 1991 to 1997. He was a founding member in September 2002 of the Swiss photo agency, Pixsil, which he left in July 2009. Today he works as a freelance photographer. He is also represented by the photo agencies Cosmos in France, Luz Photo Agency Visum in Germany and Bildbyran Silver in Scandinavia.
Ruef has worked with Médecins Sans Frontières
, the Global Fund to fight AIDS
, tuberculosis
and malaria
, Heks (Interchurch Aid), Swiss Red Cross, the Syngenta Foundation and the World Council of Churches
.
Ruef's pictures are published in numerous magazines and newspapers in Europe, Asia and Northern America.
He won the King Albert Memorial Foundation Prize in 2000 for his book on Swiss mountain farmers (Bauern am Berg, Paysans de nos montagnes, Vita di montagna). This award, among other prizes, was the culmination of a long-term personal project which began in 1993 and completed in 1997. It was made possible with the support of Pro Helvetia
for the photography and book in 1998, and an itinerant exhibition which toured Switzerland, Italy, Singapore and Jordan between 1999 and 2002.
In 2000 and 2001, Ruef was commissioned by the Swiss branch of Médecins Sans Frontières
(MSF) for an extensive photographic report on daily life in six African countries. These pictures, together with those from numerous other African essays form the basis of a book Afrique Noire, published in 2005. An itinerant exhibition toured Switzerland and France between 2005 and 2007.
In 2007, he was commissioned by the Swiss Foundation DiDé, Dignité en Détention, for a book Enfants Prisonniers on the minors’ jail in Gitarama, Rwanda
.
Since 1991, he has also been involved in a personal project worldwide on the relationship between Man and Waste. He has shot twenty photo essays and has finally published in 2011 the book Recycle , Labor et Fides (french-english) and Edizioni Casagrande (italian-german).
Group
Life and career
Didier Ruef was born in GenevaGeneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
on July 15, 1961 and has dual nationality, Swiss and Italian. He graduated from the University of Geneva
University of Geneva
The University of Geneva is a public research university located in Geneva, Switzerland.It was founded in 1559 by John Calvin, as a theological seminary and law school. It remained focused on theology until the 17th century, when it became a center for Enlightenment scholarship. In 1873, it...
, where he studied Economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
(1981–1984).
In 1985, Ruef went to New York, where he obtained a diploma (1986) in photojournalism
Photojournalism
Photojournalism is a particular form of journalism that creates images in order to tell a news story. It is now usually understood to refer only to still images, but in some cases the term also refers to video used in broadcast journalism...
at the International Center of Photography
International Center of Photography
The International Center of Photography is a photography museum, school, and research center in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States...
(ICP). It was there that he developed his long-term essay of the life of a Puerto Rican family in Spanish Harlem
Spanish Harlem
East Harlem, also known as Spanish Harlem and El Barrio, is a section of Harlem in the northeastern part of the New York City borough of Manhattan. East Harlem is one of the largest predominantly Latino communities in New York City. It includes the area formerly known as Italian Harlem, in which...
, for which he won the Yann Geoffroy Prize in Milan in 1990. These photographs were exhibited at the Musée de l'Elysée in Lausanne
Lausanne
Lausanne is a city in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and is the capital of the canton of Vaud. The seat of the district of Lausanne, the city is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva . It faces the French town of Évian-les-Bains, with the Jura mountains to its north-west...
, Switzerland, in 1990.
Since returning to Switzerland in 1987, Ruef started to work as a freelance documentary
Documentary photography
Documentary photography usually refers to a popular form of photography used to chronicle significant and historical events. It is typically covered in professional photojournalism, but it may also be an amateur, artistic, or academic pursuit...
photographer and photojournalist and has visited all five continents, with a preference for Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
. He has worked on various stories on the human condition in black & white and color.
Ruef was a member of Network Photographers Agency in London from 1991 to 1997. He was a founding member in September 2002 of the Swiss photo agency, Pixsil, which he left in July 2009. Today he works as a freelance photographer. He is also represented by the photo agencies Cosmos in France, Luz Photo Agency Visum in Germany and Bildbyran Silver in Scandinavia.
Ruef has worked with Médecins Sans Frontières
Médecins Sans Frontières
' , or Doctors Without Borders, is a secular humanitarian-aid non-governmental organization best known for its projects in war-torn regions and developing countries facing endemic diseases. Its headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland...
, the Global Fund to fight AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
, tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
and malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
, Heks (Interchurch Aid), Swiss Red Cross, the Syngenta Foundation and the World Council of Churches
World Council of Churches
The World Council of Churches is a worldwide fellowship of 349 global, regional and sub-regional, national and local churches seeking unity, a common witness and Christian service. It is a Christian ecumenical organization that is based in the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland...
.
Ruef's pictures are published in numerous magazines and newspapers in Europe, Asia and Northern America.
He won the King Albert Memorial Foundation Prize in 2000 for his book on Swiss mountain farmers (Bauern am Berg, Paysans de nos montagnes, Vita di montagna). This award, among other prizes, was the culmination of a long-term personal project which began in 1993 and completed in 1997. It was made possible with the support of Pro Helvetia
Pro Helvetia
The foundation Pro Helvetia is a public foundation of Switzerland, held by Confédération Suisse.-Presidents:*From 1939 to 1943, Heinrich Häberlin.*From 1944 to 1952, Paul Lachenal.*From 1952 to 1964, Jean-Rodolphe de Salis....
for the photography and book in 1998, and an itinerant exhibition which toured Switzerland, Italy, Singapore and Jordan between 1999 and 2002.
In 2000 and 2001, Ruef was commissioned by the Swiss branch of Médecins Sans Frontières
Médecins Sans Frontières
' , or Doctors Without Borders, is a secular humanitarian-aid non-governmental organization best known for its projects in war-torn regions and developing countries facing endemic diseases. Its headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland...
(MSF) for an extensive photographic report on daily life in six African countries. These pictures, together with those from numerous other African essays form the basis of a book Afrique Noire, published in 2005. An itinerant exhibition toured Switzerland and France between 2005 and 2007.
In 2007, he was commissioned by the Swiss Foundation DiDé, Dignité en Détention, for a book Enfants Prisonniers on the minors’ jail in Gitarama, Rwanda
Gitarama, Rwanda
Gitarama is the second-largest city in Rwanda, with a population of 84,669 . Although a part of the Southern Province, it is situated in the centre of the country, to the west of the capital, Kigali. It is the capital of the district of Muhanga....
.
Since 1991, he has also been involved in a personal project worldwide on the relationship between Man and Waste. He has shot twenty photo essays and has finally published in 2011 the book Recycle , Labor et Fides (french-english) and Edizioni Casagrande (italian-german).
Awards
- Deutscher Fotobuchpreis. Nomination 2012
- Swiss Press Photo. First prize for the foreign section. 2006
- Fujifilm Euro Press Photo Awards. Swiss prize for the technique section. 2004
- Swiss Press Photo. First prize for the foreign section. 2003
- Swiss Press Photo. First and third prizes for the foreign section. 2002
- King Albert Memorial Foundation for the book Bauern am Berg, OZV Offizin Zürich Verlag. Switzerland. 2000
- Schweizerische Arbeitgemeinschaft für die Berggebiete (SAB) Switzerland for the book Bauern am Berg OZV Offizin Zürich Verlag. Switzerland. 1999
- Passy’s mountain book fair, France, for the book Paysans de nos montagnes, Editions Monographic. 1999
- Honorable mention. UNESCOUNESCOThe United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
. Japan. 1993 - Applied Arts Magazine Awards Annual. USA. 1993
- Third black&white prize. NikonNikon, also known as just Nikon, is a multinational corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, specializing in optics and imaging. Its products include cameras, binoculars, microscopes, measurement instruments, and the steppers used in the photolithography steps of semiconductor fabrication, of which...
International. Japan. 1991 - Yann Geoffroy. Grazia Neri . Milan. Italy. 1990
- Second color prize. NikonNikon, also known as just Nikon, is a multinational corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, specializing in optics and imaging. Its products include cameras, binoculars, microscopes, measurement instruments, and the steppers used in the photolithography steps of semiconductor fabrication, of which...
International. Japan. 1989 - Grand Prix. L'Illustré. Switzerland. 1983
Books
- Afrika, letzte Hoffnung. Corso. Germany. 2011
- Recycle. Labor et Fides. Switzerland. 2011
- Recycle.Casagrande Edizioni. Switzerland. 2011
- Enfants Prisonniers. Fondation DiDé, Dignité en Détention. Geneva. Switzerland. 2007
- Afrique Noire. Infolio Editions. Switzerland. 2005
- Tausendundein Krieg. NP Buchverlag. Austria. 2004
- Vita di montagna Edizioni Casagrande. Switzerland. 1998
- Paysans de nos montagnes Editions Monographic. Switzerland. 1998
- Bauern am Berg OZV Offizin Zürich Verlag. Switzerland. 1998
- Weltenblicke. Reportagefotografie und ihre Medien . OZV Offizin Zürich Verlag. Switzerland.1997
Collections
- Musée de l'Elysée Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Schweizerische Stiftung für die Photographie, Zürich. Switzerland.
- Fonds cantonal d’art contemporain, Geneva. Switzerland.
- Fonds pour la photographie, Geneva. Switzerland.
Exhibits
Individuals- 2007
- Afrique Noire. Völkerkundemuseum, Zürich. Switzerland.
- 2006
- Afrique Noire. Itinéraires des Photographes Voyageurs, Bibliothèque Municipale, Bordeaux. France.
- 2005
- Africa Nera. Museo d’arte, Mendrisio. Switzerland
- Afrique Noire. Galerie Focale, Nyon. Switzerland.
- Schwarzafrica. Coalmine Gallery, Winterthur. Switzerland.
- 2002
- Mountain farming. The Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts, Amman. Jordan.
- 2001
- Paysans de montagnes. The Substation. Singapore.
- Vita di montagna. CCS Centro Culturale Svizzero, Milan. Italy.
- Vita di montagna. Forte di Nago, Torbole. Italy.
- 2000
- Bauern am Berg. Museo Nazionale del San Gottardo. Switzerland.
- Paysans de nos montagnes. Galerie Focale, Nyon. Switzerland.
- 1999
- Vita di montagna. Castelgrande, Bellinzona. Switzerland.
- "Paysans de nos montagnes." Caves de la maison de Courten, Sierre (Switzerland).
- 1998
- Bauern am Berg. Völkerkundemuseum, Zürich. Switzerland.
- 1993
- Gens de la Voirie. MJC St.-Gervais, Geneva. Switzerland.
- 1991
- Spanish Harlem. Family Life. Musée de l'Elysée, Lausanne. Switzerland.
- 1990
- Médecins Sans FrontièresMédecins Sans Frontières' , or Doctors Without Borders, is a secular humanitarian-aid non-governmental organization best known for its projects in war-torn regions and developing countries facing endemic diseases. Its headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland...
in Uganda. Maison du Grütli, Geneva. Switzerland.
- Médecins Sans Frontières
Group
- 2010
- Black Africa – Rwanda, Enfants Prisonniers. 10th Shanghai International Photographic Art Exhibition. Exhibition Center of Shanghai. China.
- 2007
- Focale's 25 years . Château de Nyon. Switzerland.
- Malnutrition's sensibilisation. Médecins Sans FrontièresMédecins Sans Frontières' , or Doctors Without Borders, is a secular humanitarian-aid non-governmental organization best known for its projects in war-torn regions and developing countries facing endemic diseases. Its headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland...
France. Lille. France
- 2006
- Switzerland by Focale’s photographers. La Gallerie Photo, Montpellier. France.
- Liberté, Freiheit, Libertà. Reporters Sans Frontières (RSF). Travelling exhibit around Switzerland.
- 2003
- Objective : People’s world. WHO, Tirana. Albania.
- Le monde selon Focale . Villa Dutoit, Geneva. Switzerland.
- 1999
- O seculo do corpo. Trabalhos fotograficos 1990-1999. Culturgest, Lisbonne. Portugal.
- 1997
- Weltenblicke. Reportagefotografie und ihre Medien. Fotomuseum Winterthur. Switzerland.
- De Ketting V. Photofestival Noorderlicht, Ja Groningen. The Netherlands.
- 1994
- Migracoes. Museu da Imagem e do SomSão Paulo Museum of Image and SoundThe São Paulo Museum of Image and Sound is a public museum of audio-visual works, established in 1970 and located in São Paulo, Brazil...
(MIS), São Paulo. Brazil. - UNESCO / Accu . World Tour.
- Migracoes. Museu da Imagem e do Som
- 1993
- World Press Photo. World Tour.
- Picture Freedom. Photographers Gallery, London. England.
- 1991
- Voir la Suisse Autrement. Switzerland's 700rd Anniversary. Fribourg. Switzerland.
- 1988
- Triennale internationale de la Photographie. Fribourg. Switzerland.
- 1986
- Central Park. New York. USA.
Lectures
- 26 october 2011. "Recycle". International Center of Photography (in english) . New York City. USA
- 7 may 2011. "Recycle". Chiasso Letteraria (in italian) . Galleria Cons Arc. Switzerland.
- 5 april 2011. "The meaning of photography today" (in german). Canon Switzerland. “Händler Schulung Programm”. Zürich. Switzerland.
- 22 and 29 september 2010. "A personal view on being a photographer" (in french). Canon Switzerland. “Creative Days Lausanne and Geneva”. Switzerland.
Workshops
- 2005
- Photojournalism. October 2005. Two days' class. University of Tulsa. Photo department. Oklahoma. USA.
- Photojournalism. Spring 2005. One week class at the Centre d’Enseignement Professionel Vevey (CEPV). Switzerland
- 2002
- Photojournalism. One day class at The Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts Amman. Jordan.