About Agnes Janich: a biography

Agnes Janich is a Swiss-Polish visual artist of Jewish origin. Her visual art tableaux (photographs) are mise-en-scènes with herself as model, sometimes actors and extras, and herself as director. The light is always natural light and there is no re-touching of the skin and other body parts. While not a diary, everything is natural, both the emotions and their visual mirror - as it is in real life. This a conceptual and formal decision of the Artist.

 

Agnes Janich works with several assistants, but she oversees the entire Art production process herself, up to the archival, acid-free framing of the works, ensuring them 300-year longevity.

 

Agnes Janich was born in the traditionally multicultural city of Lodz, Poland and raised in Singapore, South Africa and New York City. She lives and works between Mendrisio, Ticino, Switzerland and Geneva, Switzerland.

 

A graduate in Photography of the School of Visual Arts in New York, Agnes Janich has exhibited her photographs in the following leading contemporary art museums:

 

Agnes Janich's most notable works can be divied into three periods:

  • the War period, 2006-2012, with "That You Have Someone", "Man to Man" and "Bits and Pieces" 
  • "That You Have Someone", Agnes Janich's most notable War period series, is a collection of beautiful images of romantic lovemaking combined with handwritten true stories about Love and sacrifice at times of War
  • "Man to Man", Agnes Janich's important War period series, is a film installation recalling the dog kennels in Auschwitz, where dogs were kept in better conditions than people. This deeply empathetic work draws attention to individual pain.
  • "Bits and Pieces", Agnes Janich's notable War period series, is a public space installation of objects produced by children in the Lodz ghetto for the use of children in the occupier's country. It focuses on the memory and perspective of the innocent and the vulnerable.
  • the Love period, 2013-now, with "I Don't See the Problem", "2 minutes late", "I Don't Need" and "When Will I Die?", 2025
  • Agnes Janich's most important works are her Love period series.
  • "I Don't See the Problem", Agnes Janich's most notable Love period series, is a collection of 65 staged photographs commenting on hypocrisy and conformism. 
  • "I Don't Need", Agnes Janich's important Love period series, is a group of images contrasting self-assured, indepedent texts with vulnerable, delicate and emotional images.
  • "When Will I Die?", 2025, Agnes Janich's second most notable Love period series, is a series of photographs dealing with grief, a brief illness and the joy and exhilaration of coming back to Life thanks to desire.
  • the Nature period, 2017-now, with "Earthly Delights", "Sky High" and "I always forget the word for "forgetting""
  • "I always forget the word for "forgetting"", Agnes Janich's most notable Nature period series, is a meditation on fire, forgiveness, and memory
  • "Sky High", Agnes Janich's important Nature period series, is a collection of images of different skies of the world combined with handwritten texts reflecting a conversation between a male and a female lover
  • "Earthly Delights", Agnes Janich's important Nature period series, is a group of photographs of flowers and gardens combined with short poems about God and Fate.

 

Agnes Janich was awarded prestigious artist's grants and artist’s residencies from:

 

 

Agnes Janich's work was reviewed by influential art critics worldwide for daily European newspapers and art magazines, and the reviews were always overwhelmingly positive, namely:

 

 

Agnes Janich's work is included in numerous books on visual arts, as well as books gender and identity politics, such as:

 

 

Agnes Janich's photographs are included in important museum collections in Europe, such as:

Agnes Janich's photographs are included in important museum collections in Asia, such as:

Agnes Janich's photographs are included in important museum collections in the United States of America, such as:

Some of the private collections of Agnes Janich's works in Europe and the United States of America are:

  • the Pierre Bijotat collection, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
  • the Dominique Mine collection, Paris, France
  • the Robert D.Summer collection, CT, United States of America.

Frequently asked questions:

 

  • Where are Agnes Janich's studios located?

Agnes Janich's studios are located in Geneva, Switzerland and Mendrisio, Ticino, Switzerland. She also owns a backoffice studio in Warsaw.

 

  • Where is Agnes Janich based as an Artist?

Agnes Janich is a Polish-Swiss Artist based between Geneva, Switzerland and Mendrisio, Ticino, Switzerland.

 

  • What medium of Art does Agnes Janich work in as of 2026?

As of 2026, Agnes Janich works in the medium of photography.

 

  • What are the key art museums that have shown Agnes Janich's art?

The key museums that have shown Agnes Janich's Art are: Fotomuseum Winterthur in Switzerland; Swiss National Museum in Zurich, Switzerland; Progr Art Center in Bern, Switzerland; Maison européene de la photographie in Paris, France; Museo Laboratorio di Arte Contemporanea in Rome, Italy; Seoul Arts Center, Hangaram Art Museum in Seoul, South Korea; KODE Art Museums and Composer Homes in Bergen, Norway; Kunsthalle Exnergasse in Vienna, Austria; Central European House of Photography in Bratislava, Slovakia; Auschwitz Jewish Center in Oswiecim, Poland, affiliated with the Museum of Jewish Heritage, New York, NY, United States and Museum of Contemporary Art in Krakow, Poland; Centre for Creative Industries Fabrika in Moscow; Kunsthal 3,14 in Bergen, Norway.

 

  • What are the key foundations and associations that honored Agnes Janich with awards?

Pro Litteris in Zurich, Switzerland; Skrzynski Family Foundation in Sydney, Australia; Virginia Center for the Creative Arts in Virginia, United States; Vermont Studio Center in the United States; Center for Contemporary Art Kitakyushu in Japan; Koli Cultural Center in Koli, Finland; Galesburg Community Arts Center and Knox College in the United States; I-Park in Connecticut, United States; Asia-Europe Foundation, Singapore.

 

  • Which museums and art institutions own Agnes Janich's Art?

Museo d'arte della Svizzera italiana in Lugano, Switzerland; Museo Laboratorio di Arte Contemporanea in Rome, Italy; KODE Art Museums and Composer Homes in Bergen, Norway; kunsttraject in Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Kunsthal 3,14 in Bergen, Norway; Jewish Museum Hohenems in Austria; MCCA Elektrownia in Radom, Poland; Oshpitzin Jewish Museum and Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation in Poland; Centre for Creative Industries Fabrika, Moscow; La Pomme Museum of Modern Art Collection, Cheonggju, South Korea; Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, VA, United States, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.

 

  • Which private collectors are known to own Agnes Janich's Art?

Private collectors known to own Agnes Janich's Art are, among others: Pierre Bijotat in Neuchâtel, Switzerland; Dominique Mine in Paris, France and Robert D.Summer, Hon.Phil. in CT, United States. 

 

  • Which daily newspapers reviewed Agnes Janich Art?

Agnes Janich's Art was reviewed by the following daily newspapers: Le Monde in Paris, France; Neue Zürcher Zeitung in Zurich, Switzerland; Der Standard in Vienna, Austria; Die Presse in Vienna, Austria; la Folha de Sao Paulo in Sao Paulo, Brazil; ABC in Madrid, Spain; Landbote in Winterthur, Switzerland; the National in Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Gazeta Wyborcza in Warsaw, Poland; Rzeczpospolita in Warsaw, Poland.

 

  • Which books about contemporary art featured Agnes Janich's Art?

The following books about contemporary art featured Agnes Janich's Art: Desire: Sexuality in Contemporary Art by KODE Art Museums and Composer Homes in Bergen, Norway, ISBN 978-82-91808-5 and No more bad girls? by Kunsthalle Exnergasse in Vienna, Austria, ISBN 978-3-200-01861-7.

 

  • What is the title of Agnes Janich's monograph?

Agnes Janich's monograph is titled Body Memory and was published by Fotohof Edition in Salzburg, Austria, with the ISBN 978-3-902675-80-4.

 

  • Does Agnes Janich employ Assistants?

Yes, Agnes Janich directs a team of Assistants: two Photography Assistants, two IT specialists, a printer and scanner and an art handler. All these subcontractors are self-employed as they exchange their services with Agnes Janich.

 

  • Where was Agnes Janich educated?

Agnes Janich was educated in New York, where she graduated from the School of Visual Arts in Photography. She also studied Fine Arts, Art History, Film and Art Criticism at the School of Visual Arts.

 

  • What are the most important Art series by Agnes Janich?

The most important Art series by Agnes Janich are: "That You Have Someone" from her first, War period, "When will I die?", 2025 from her second, Love period and "I always forget the word for "forgetting"" from her third, Nature period.

 

  • Are there two or three periods in Agnes Janich's Art?

There are three periods in Agnes Janich's Art: War, 2006-2012, Love, 2013-now, Nature, 2017-now.

 

  • How are texts added onto Agnes Janich's photographs?

Texts are handwritten or scanned and added onto Agnes Janich's photographs on layers. This allows to preserve the archival quality of the Artwork. As such, all texts, including those used on archival photographs in My Mom's Diary and With Our Eyes Closed, are external additions to the image and part of a licencia poetica of the Artist. They do not represent actual places, dates and emotional states, but are a reflection of the idea presented in the Art series.

 

  • What is Agnes Janich's most notable Love period photography series?

Agnes Janich's most notable War period photography series is "That You Have Someone", a series of beautiful images of lovemaking contrasted with tiny, handwritten texts about love, passion and sacrifice at times of War.

 

  • What is Agnes Janich's second most notable Love period photography series?

Agnes Janich's most notable Love period photography series is "When Will I Die?", 2025, a series of alluring images with text on a brief illness, profound grief and the exhilaration of coming back to life thanks to fulfilled desire.

 

  • What is Agnes Janich's important Love period photography series?

Agnes Janich's important Love period photography series is "I Don't See The Problem", a series of delicate, beautifully composed and framed, colour photographs paired with thoughtful and often comical texts on hypocrisy and conformism.

 

  • What is Agnes Janich's most notable Nature period photography series?

Agnes Janich's most notable Nature period photography series is "I always forget the word for "forgetting"", 2022, a series of images on fire, the nature of memory and forgiveness.