STEFAN DRASCHAN: DOUBLE TAKE

Stefan Draschan is an Austrian photographer who has made a name for himself with his unique and humorous photographic series. Draschan became well known for his series People Matching Artworks, published by Hatje Cantz in the publication Coincidences At Museums. In this series, he photographs museum visitors who happen to match the artworks they are standing in front of in terms of colour, pattern or style.

New insights: Stefan Draschan´s Double Take

Following the great success of Coincidences At Museums, Stefan Draschan has continued to work on his various photo series, creating captivating eye-catchers time and time again. It was therefore high time to develop a new book with him: Double Take presents new highlights from the further differentiating museum photographs as well as self-portraits documenting Draschan's activism for cycling, for example. The book also offers insights into his staged photo series for the first time and shows particular favourites from the previously unpublished Cars Matching Homes series.

In the interview with Hatje Cantz, Stefan Draschan talks about the response to his first photo book and the new challenges he faced while working on his second book project, Double Take.

Hatje Cantz: Coincidences At Museums was a great success. What reactions from the public surprised or delighted you the most?

Stefan Draschan: Overall, the overwhelming number of positive reactions! I was very pleased that it was on display as a recommendation from the culture department at the Dussmann cultural department stores', for example, and that it was also on the recommendation shelf at Thalia in 2021, the third year after publication (both seen in Berlin). And in the media in Vogue and...
It's also amazing to me that even in 2024 there are still museum directors who have never heard of the series, but whose museum has several pictures in the new book...never mind, I gave them a copy of Double Take.

HC: What was the biggest challenge in making Double Take compared to Coincidences At Museums? How did your creative processes change?

SD: I think the biggest challenge was going from a single series to more than ten series, some of them very different. And the initial selection was over 400 photographs. It took a little longer to whittle that down. I mean, everyone has their favourites and in the end I'm far more interested in other people's photos than my own anyway.

HC: Can you tell us more about the Cars Matching Homes series that you shot in Double Take?

SD: Cars Matching Homes is a series that focuses on visual matches between cars and the surrounding architecture. The series poses questions about the meaning and significance of design elements in the environment we create. Although there is a certain unintentional humour in the sometimes bizarre similarities, the images raise essential questions of our time: Where does the shaping mind of Western civilisation begin? What is important to it? What priorities are set and what does this implicitly mean for our lives and our environment?

HC: Do you often receive unsolicited images inspired by Peoples Matching Artworks?

SD: Yes, this has become firmly established over the years, it's really exciting for me as I get to see new art, people, opportunities and places in the world. Some people write so nicely and interestingly that you become friends (at least virtually) and stay in touch.