High honor

Old masters shine in new splendor

The international jury of experts was impressed by Paul Szimak's "L'Agonie de Gaia".(Bild: PAUL SZIMAK)

Paul Szimak from Burgenland is the world's best "Art Photographer of the Year". What makes his work so exceptional?

Paul Szimak can look back on an excellent year in 2024: The Müllendorf native was runner-up in the World Photography Championship in spring, is one of the 45 best fine art photographers in Europe according to the jury and one of the top 3 digital artists in Austria. The 52-year-old has now received a special honor: he was awarded the title of Fine Art Photographer of the Year for his work "L'Agonie de Gaia". The award is regarded as the Oscar of the photography world and has been presented by the IPA International Photography Awards in Los Angeles for 21 years. Szimak's portrait laughed from the cover of a US trade magazine. "That's extraordinary for an Austrian photographer. And even more so for a Burgenland photographer," he says.

For a change, Paul Szimak sits in front of the camera.(Bild: zVg)

And what does this art consist of?

Take a Renaissance painting. By merging them with photographs and personal objects, the paintings take on new interpretations and meanings. "I get in touch with the Old Masters and place their works in a contemporary context," says Szimak. Technically speaking, these are classic Photoshop composings. "It's a process that takes weeks to months. Everything is done by hand. Artificial intelligence is not used for a second."

The picture is called "Darscho" - note the landscape in the background that the Burgenland native has incorporated.(Bild: Paul Szimak)

As far as Burgenland is concerned, the 52-year-old is fond of Darscho, where he used to splash around as a child. He travels to Seewinkel time and again to capture today's moods with his camera and then incorporate them into his works as a background.

The pictures are currently on display at the House of Lucie gallery in Athens. They will then travel on to the galleries of the Center of Photography in Los Angeles, Budapest, Kashan, Bangkok, Ostuni and Bologna.