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HONORABLE MENTION - GOMMA GRANT 2024:

"It is with great pleasure that we recognize Uta Genilke with an Honorable Mention for her captivating work, which draws us into the sensory experience of London through a uniquely personal lens. In her own words, "London in May. I had only three days to explore the city, a place I hadn’t seen in 21 years," Genilke’s journey through the city unfolds as a deeply introspective and almost meditative exploration. With a single street—labeled "A11" on her phone’s map—as her constant companion, she finds a rhythm in the ordinary, walking "only this one street – into the city center and back again, a continuous loop."

Her photographs capture fleeting moments—blurry, cropped, out-of-focus images that reveal a mysterious, transient London, where "a few mysterious strangers in passing" become part of the city’s enigmatic pulse. Through a blend of intuition and spontaneity, she doesn’t overthink, snapping images without pausing to look, creating a body of work that speaks to the raw, unplanned beauty of everyday life.

Genilke’s images are imbued with a rare, original hue and mood, combining personal reflections with moments of serendipity. The inclusion of gemstone photos from the Natural History Museum, alongside train-window snapshots, subtly deepens the narrative. As she reflects, "We live in our present, but the future is within us," her work resonates with the idea of following one’s instincts—not only in art but in life itself. In doing so, Genilke offers us a fresh, emotionally charged perspective on the city and the path she has chosen to follow."

Gomma

"London in May. I had only three days to explore the city, a place I hadn’t seen in 21 years. Exiting the subway station near my accommodation, I found myself on a street labeled "A11" on my phone’s map. I liked it, and for the next three days, I walked only this one street – into the city center and back again, a continuous loop. The street felt relaxed yet bustling, a main artery of the city, and I soon fell into a meditative rhythm, running for hours. From time to time, I snapped photos without stopping or even looking. Blurry, cropped, out-of-focus images; a few mysterious strangers in passing—that was London to me. Later, I added in some photos of gemstones I’d taken during a visit to the Natural History Museum. Back home, as I looked over the first photos I’d taken from the train window, one image revealed a message scrawled on a wall: “We live in our present, but the future is within us.” It felt like it was meant for me. I realised I would keep following my instincts, without overthinking or planning – the right path for my art, and for my life.« Uta Genilke