Justus Lemm is a photographer who explores how individuals and collectives relate to the world and to one another. He also examines the influence of society on the individual, particularly in the context of alienation and disconnection. Lemm often employs a speculative-documentary approach that combines scientific research with artistic interpretation to address complex themes. By incorporating the emotional dimensions of his subjects, he creates works that invite viewers to engage with the material from multiple perspectives.
Lithics is an exploration into the prehistoric origins of human behavior. Traveling through caves and quarries, forests and valleys across Europe, the work seeks traces of our shared humanity in landscapes once inhabited by Neanderthals.
Central to the work is the uniquely human awareness of mortality. This awareness shapes how we live, think, and act. It manifests in our desire to transcend the finality of life through art, culture, and reshaping the world around us. In these acts, we leave traces where our inner struggles become both visible and tangible. Our will to understand who and what we are drives our curiosity towards the world, fosters a will to explore unknown territories, makes us feel alive. But it also tends to amplify feelings of isolation and existential angst. To explore these abstract ideas and ground them in a visual form, Lithics adopts a speculative documentary approach, blending historical research with artistic interpretation. Visually, archaeological sites and remains combine with their contemporary surroundings, forming a bridge between past and present.
A variety of motifs emerge: landscapes, artifacts, and everyday finds create narratives that highlight both the scientific significance and emotional resonance of these traces. The images tend to invite questions rather than offering answers, leaning into their poetic potential and encouraging introspection over the mere transport of information. The project naturally probes the boundaries between fact and fiction, a consequence of its engagement with the prehistoric past, allowing for more freedom in the expression of its ideas and the choice of motifs. Lithics examines our relentless search for meaning and encourages reflection on those moments when we confront our own smallness. J.L.
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