Conceptual Photography: Alexej Sachov at photo basel/berlin 2026

Chronicles of an Emerging Diversity

2022 - ongoing · Sculptural intervention, strobe-lit photography underwater

Simulating the conditions of a primordial explosion, the collected during scuba dives marine debris is compressed and released in weightlessness underwater. As fragments expand and collide, sculptures emerge by chance. Suspended particles of sand and plankton, illuminated by strobe, produce the illusion of a cosmic field. In this way, form emerges out of "nothing". In post-processing, meaningful figures are selected, pointing to the third level of meaning. All objects are removed from the water for proper disposal.

The Jewel of Nature

2020 - ongoing · Macro photography, coral reef surfaces · several series in project

Coral reefs are painting, and have been for hundreds of millions of years. The project examines biological abstraction as a form of image-making that predates and parallels human art history. These close-up photographs isolate the dense visual field of reef surfaces where dozens of species compete on a single plane, each deploying different colors, textures, and survival strategies. These vibrant corals grow on the remains of earlier life.

The Secret Code of Nature

2021 - ongoing · Long-exposure macro photography, night dives

The project traces a progression from dot to line to symbol to nascent form. Living organisms attracted to underwater light sources during night dives act as the image-makers.
Extended exposures in macro mode across a six-centimetre field record this process as luminous inscriptions against a dark ground. The artist initiates the process but does not compose the result, allowing the work to become a document of hunting and survival in motion.

The True Magic

2024 - ongoing · Long-exposure night dive, elemental particles

Motion, light, and time draw shapes no hand could plan. At night, in the open sea, air bubbles rise through beams of light and laser lines; long exposure records their convergence as a luminous field. Light, water, air, and particles, the elements of life, compose the image themselves.

The studio is the sea

All four projects on this booth are made entirely during scuba dives.

Recent & parallel shows

• Photo Basel 2026, Solo Booth, Volkshaus Basel, Basel Art Week (June 2026).
• The Photography Show 2026 (AIPAD), Solo Booth, Park Avenue Armory, New York (April 2026).
• Aesthetica Art Prize: Finalist 2024 (exhibition at York Art Gallery, UK). Selected for Celebrating 20 Years, a group exhibition at Mercer Gallery, Harrogate (2 May / 6 September 2026).
• Survival Rituals - group exhibition, taking the biomechanical vision of H. R. Giger as its conceptual point of entry. Basel Art Center (June 2026).

Material & Finishing

Inkjet pigment print on Hahnemühle archival paper, float-mounted on dibond in HALBE frames and glazed with museum acrylic. Alternative framing options are available.

photo basel/berlin 2026 · POSITIONS Berlin Art Fair

photo basel, Switzerland's international art fair dedicated to photography-based art, brings its Berlin edition, the third, inside POSITIONS Berlin Art Fair, now in its 13th edition, in the historic hangars of Tempelhof Airport during Berlin Art Week.

10 - 13 September 2026 · Professional Preview Thursday 10 September, 14:00–18:00 (VIP card) · Opening Thursday 18:00–21:00 · Public days: Friday 14:00–20:00, Saturday 11:00–19:00, Sunday 11:00–18:00 · Tickets €25 / €15 reduced at tickets.positions.de.
Tempelhof Airport, Hangar 5–6, Tempelhofer Damm 45, 12101 Berlin (U6 Paradestraße). Booth № to be announced.
See the official fair map for the exact location inside the hangars.
Presented by M ART Gallery.

Fair information & tickets →