Dennis Eichmann is a Berlin-based artist and photographer whose work captures the essence of stillness and subtle beauty in a world that often rushes by. Having studied Fine Arts and Fashion Design in Vienna, Berlin, and Kiel, Eichmann brings a distinct sensibility to his photographic practice, focusing on the often-overlooked details that shape our everyday surroundings. Through his lens, objects, empty spaces, and natural landscapes take on a quiet melancholy, becoming witnesses to the passage of time. For the past five summers, Eichmann has turned his attention to Crete, documenting the island’s landscape and its fleeting moments through analog photography. His series Sea, Sun, and Soil is a meditation on both the land and the light, a photographic exploration that evokes an almost architectural sense of space and time. Shot on 35mm film, Eichmann’s images are infused with a warmth that feels like a slow exhale, pulling viewers into the intricate dance between fleeting moments and the lasting marks of history. Sunlight plays a central role in his work, slicing through the frame with an elemental intensity, sculpting both the objects and the landscape. His subjects—often vacant plastic chairs, abandoned road signs, or forgotten parasols—speak of absence and presence, capturing a moment in time when life has momentarily left the frame. These discarded objects are imbued with a quiet dignity, becoming, in Eichmann’s hands, poignant mementos to those who left them behind. Crete, with its rugged mountains, tranquil beaches, and ancient ruins, is more than just the backdrop for Eichmann’s work; it is a character in its own right. From Chania in the northwest to Agia Fotia on the southeastern tip, Eichmann’s journey across the island has allowed him to uncover the hidden beauty of quiet, out-of-the-way corners, where the warmth of the local people contrasts with the tranquil solitude of the landscape. In this series, Eichmann’s lens captures a side of Crete that contrasts with the hustle and bustle of tourist crowds. Rather than focusing on the vibrant activity of the island, his photographs offer a moment of pause, where nature and human traces meet in a quiet dance. The result is a series that speaks to the layered histories of the land, the unspoken narratives of its people, and the deep connection between sunlight and the earth.
Dennis Eichmann’s Crete is an analog study in light, absence and the passage of time
