Didier Ruef
Swiss photographer

Didier Ruef

BiographyListsAlso Viewed
The basics
Quick facts
Intro
Swiss photographer
Gender:
Male
Places:
Switzerland
Is:
PhotographerJournalistPhotojournalist
Work field:
ArtsJournalism
Birth:
15 July 1961(Geneva)
Biography menu
Menu

Jump to

Introduction Life and career Awards Books Collections Exhibits Lectures Workshops
The details
Biography

Introduction

Didier Ruef (born 1961) is a Swiss documentary photographer best known for his portrayal of Man & Waste, Man & Animals, Africa and Switzerland.

Life and career

Didier Ruef was born in Geneva, Switzerland on July 15, 1961. He graduated from the University of Geneva, where he studied Economics (1981–1984).

In 1985, Ruef went to New York, where he obtained a diploma (1986) in photojournalism at the International Center of Photography (ICP). It was there that he developed his long-term essay of the life of a Puerto Rican family in Spanish Harlem, for which he won the Yann Geoffroy Prize in Milan in 1990. These photographs were exhibited at the Musée de l'Élysée in Lausanne, Switzerland, in 1990.

Since returning to Switzerland in 1987, Ruef started to work as a freelance documentary photographer and photojournalist and has visited all five continents, with a preference for Africa. He has worked on various stories on the human condition in black & white and color.

Ruef was a member of Network Photographers Agency in London from 1991 to 1997. He was a founding member in September 2002 of the Swiss photo agency, Pixsil, which he left in July 2009. Today he works as a freelance photographer. He is also represented by the photo agencies Cosmos in France, Luz Photo Agency Visum in Germany and Bildbyran Silver in Scandinavia.

Ruef has worked with Médecins Sans Frontières, the Global Fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, Heks (Interchurch Aid), Swiss Red Cross, the Syngenta Foundation and the World Council of Churches.

Ruef's pictures are published in numerous magazines and newspapers in Europe, Asia and Northern America.

He won the King Albert Memorial Foundation Prize in 2000 for his book on Swiss mountain farmers (Bauern am Berg, Paysans de nos montagnes, Vita di montagna). This award, among other prizes, was the culmination of a long-term personal project which began in 1993 and completed in 1997. It was made possible with the support of Pro Helvetia for the photography and book in 1998, and an itinerant exhibition which toured Switzerland, Italy, Singapore and Jordan between 1999 and 2002.

In 2000 and 2001, Ruef was commissioned by the Swiss branch of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) for an extensive photographic report on daily life in six African countries. These pictures, together with those from numerous other African essays form the basis of a book Afrique Noire, published in 2005. An itinerant exhibition toured Switzerland and France between 2005 and 2007.

In 2007, he was commissioned by the Swiss Foundation DiDé, Dignité en Détention, for a book Enfants Prisonniers on the minors’ jail in Gitarama, Rwanda.

From 1991 to 2011, he has also been involved in a personal project worldwide on the relationship between Man and Waste. He has shot twenty photo essays and has finally published in 2011 the book Recycle, Labor et Fides (French-English) and Edizioni Casagrande (Italian-German).

Awards

  • Deutscher Fotobuchpreis. Nomination 2012
  • Swiss Press Photo. First prize for the foreign section. 2006
  • Fujifilm Euro Press Photo Awards. Swiss prize for the technique section. 2004
  • Swiss Press Photo. First prize for the foreign section. 2003
  • Swiss Press Photo. First and third prizes for the foreign section. 2002
  • King Albert Memorial Foundation for the book Bauern am Berg, OZV Offizin Zürich Verlag. Switzerland. 2000
  • Schweizerische Arbeitgemeinschaft für die Berggebiete (SAB) Switzerland for the book Bauern am Berg OZV Offizin Zürich Verlag. Switzerland. 1999
  • Passy’s mountain book fair, France, for the book Paysans de nos montagnes, Editions Monographic. 1999
  • Honorable mention. UNESCO. Japan. 1993
  • Applied Arts Magazine Awards Annual. USA. 1993
  • Third black&white prize. Nikon International. Japan. 1991
  • Yann Geoffroy. Grazia Neri . Milan. Italy. 1990
  • Second color prize. Nikon International. Japan. 1989
  • Grand Prix. L'Illustré. Switzerland. 1983

Books

  • Iași – Puncte de vedere. Iași Editura Muzeelor Literare.Iași. Romania. 2015
  • Afrika, letzte Hoffnung.(Reprint with new book.cover). Pier Paolo Pasolini. Mit Fotografien von Didier Ruef. Corso. Hamburg. Germany. 2015
  • Bestiarium. QTI. Stabio. Switzerland. 2012
  • Afrika, letzte Hoffnung. Corso. Hamburg. Germany. 2011
  • Recycle. Labor et Fides. Switzerland. 2011
  • Recycle. Casagrande Edizioni. Switzerland. 2011
  • Enfants Prisonniers. Fondation DiDé, Dignité en Détention. Geneva. Switzerland. 2007
  • Afrique Noire. Infolio Editions. Switzerland. 2005
  • Tausendundein Krieg. NP Buchverlag. Austria. 2004
  • Vita di montagna Edizioni Casagrande. Switzerland. 1998
  • Paysans de nos montagnes. Editions Monographic. Switzerland. 1998
  • Bauern am Berg OZV Offizin Zürich Verlag. Switzerland. 1998
  • Weltenblicke. Reportagefotografie und ihre Medien OZV Offizin Zürich Verlag. Switzerland.1997

Collections

  • Fondation MAST, Bologna, Italy
  • Musée de l'Élysée, Lausanne, Switzerland.
  • Schweizerische Stiftung für die Photographie, Zürich. Switzerland.
  • Fonds cantonal d’art contemporain, Geneva. Switzerland.
  • Fonds pour la photographie, Geneva. Switzerland.
  • Museo Casa Cavalier Pellanda. Biasca. Switzerland.
  • Charles-Henri Favrod, Saint-Prex. Switzerland.

Exhibits

Individuals

  • 2016
    • 72 boulevard des écorchés. Cité Séniors, Geneva. Switzerland
  • 2014
    • Animals’ World. Leica Galerie Salzburg, Austria
    • Les déchets dans le monde. Printemps de l'environnment: réduisons, réutilisons, recyclons. Ville de Palaiseau. France.
  • 2013
    • Animals’ World. Leica Gallery. Zingst. Germany.
  • 2007
    • Afrique Noire. Völkerkundemuseum. Zürich. Switzerland.
  • 2006
    • Afrique Noire. Itinéraires des Photographes Voyageurs, Bibliothèque Municipale, Bordeaux. France.
  • 2005
    • Africa Nera. Museo d’arte, Mendrisio. Switzerland
    • Afrique Noire. Galerie Focale, Nyon. Switzerland.
    • Schwarzafrica. Coalmine Gallery, Winterthur. Switzerland.
  • 2002
    • Mountain farming. The Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts, Amman. Jordan.
  • 2001
    • Paysans de montagnes. The Substation. Singapore.
    • Vita di montagna. CCS Centro Culturale Svizzero, Milan. Italy.
    • Vita di montagna. Forte di Nago, Torbole. Italy.
  • 2000
    • Bauern am Berg. Museo Nazionale del San Gottardo. Switzerland.
    • Paysans de nos montagnes. Galerie Focale, Nyon. Switzerland.
  • 1999
    • Vita di montagna. Castelgrande, Bellinzona. Switzerland.
    • "Paysans de nos montagnes." Caves de la maison de Courten, Sierre (Switzerland).
  • 1998
    • Bauern am Berg. Völkerkundemuseum, Zürich. Switzerland.
  • 1993
    • Gens de la Voirie. MJC St.-Gervais, Geneva. Switzerland.
  • 1991
    • Spanish Harlem. Family Life. Musée de l'Élysée, Lausanne. Switzerland.
  • 1990
    • Médecins Sans Frontières in Uganda. Maison du Grütli, Geneva. Switzerland.

Group

  • 2016
    • Révélations. Photographies à Genève. Musée Rath. Geneva. Switzerland.
  • 2015
    • Sonntag Nachmittag in der Schweiz. Seebad Seewesen. Switzerland.
    • Recycled. Villa Dutoit. Geneva. Switzerland.
  • 2014
    • Recycle. Umweltfotofestival Horizonte Zingst. Germany.
    • Rwanda. Minors in detention. LuganoPhotosDays. October 17–26. Lugano. Switzerland.
  • 2013
    • Collection Charles-Henri Favrod. Saint-Imier Museum. Switzerland.
    • Bestiarium. Umweltfotofestival Horizonte Zingst. Germany.
    • Des Images pour la liberté d’expression. RSF (Reporters Sans frontières). SIG. Geneva. Switzerland.
    • Des Images pour la liberté d’expression. RSF (Reporters Sans frontières). LuganoPhotoDays. Lugano. Switzerland.
  • 2012
    • 12x7. Museo Casa Cavalier Pellanda. Biasca. Switzerland.
    • 12x7. Vestiges. Le Manoir de la Ville de Martigny. Switzerland.
  • 2011
    • Un mondo di persone (Objective : People’s world. WHO). Spazio Villas, Parco di San Giovanni. Trieste. Italy.
  • 2010
    • Black Africa – Rwanda, Enfants Prisonniers. 10th Shanghai International Photographic Art Exhibition. Exhibition Center of Shanghai. China.
  • 2007
    • Focale's 25 years . Château de Nyon. Switzerland.
    • Malnutrition's sensibilisation. Médecins Sans Frontières France. Lille. France
  • 2006
    • Switzerland by Focale’s photographers. La Gallerie Photo, Montpellier. France.
    • Liberté, Freiheit, Libertà. Reporters Sans Frontières (RSF). Travelling exhibit around Switzerland.
  • 2003
    • Objective : People’s world. WHO, Tirana. Albania.
    • Le monde selon Focale . Villa Dutoit, Geneva. Switzerland.
  • 1999
    • O seculo do corpo. Trabalhos fotograficos 1990-1999. Culturgest, Lisbonne. Portugal.
  • 1997
    • Weltenblicke. Reportagefotografie und ihre Medien. Fotomuseum Winterthur. Switzerland.
    • De Ketting V. Photofestival Noorderlicht, Ja Groningen. The Netherlands.
  • 1994
    • Migracoes. Museu da Imagem e do Som (MIS), São Paulo. Brazil.
    • UNESCO / Accu . World Tour.
  • 1993
    • World Press Photo. World Tour.
    • Picture Freedom. Photographers Gallery, London. England.
  • 1991
    • Voir la Suisse Autrement. Switzerland's 700rd Anniversary. Fribourg. Switzerland.
  • 1988
    • Triennale internationale de la Photographie. Fribourg. Switzerland.
  • 1986
    • Central Park. New York. USA.

Lectures

  • 21 September 2016. "Sostenibilità e fotografia" with Roberto Antonini (RSI journalist). LuganoPhotoDays (in Italian). Lugano. Switzerland.
  • 31 October 2015. "Recycle". Villa Dutoit (in French). Geneva. Switzerland.
  • 16 October 2013. "Recycle". LuganoPhotoDays (in Italian). Lugano. Switzerland.
  • 27 October 2012. "Fotogiornalismo oggi". Museo Casa Cavalier Pellanda (in Italian). Biasca. Switzerland.
  • 3 April 2012. "Recycle". Société de lecture (in French). Geneva. Switzerland.
  • 26 October 2011. "Recycle". International Center of Photography (in English). New York City. USA
  • 6 October 2011. "Recycle". Lecture for the participants of Unigestion Client conference (in English). Unigestion is a leading independent asset manager. Vevey. Switzerland
  • 7 May 2011. "Recycle". Chiasso Letteraria (in Italian). Galleria Cons Arc. Switzerland.
  • 5 April 2011. "The meaning of photography today" (in German). Canon Switzerland. “Händler Schulung Programm”. Zürich. Switzerland.
  • 22 and 29 September 2010. "A personal view on being a photographer" (in French). Canon Switzerland. “Creative Days Lausanne and Geneva”. Switzerland.

Workshops

  • 2016
    • LuganoPhotosDays. "Visual Storytelling. The art of reportage".November 12–13. Lugano. Switzerland.
  • 2015
    • Master Class at »MAZ«. March 2–6. Five days. Luzern. Switzerland.
  • 2014
    • Fotofestival »Horizonte Zingst«. "Fotografie mit einem »Augenzwinkern".«  May 28–29. Zingst. Germany.
    • LuganoPhotosDays. »Documentary Photography: Just be yourself.« October 18–19/25-26. Four days. Lugano. Switzerland.
  • 2013
    • LuganoPhotosDays. October 12–17. Five days. Lugano. Switzerland.
  • 2005
    • University of Tulsa. »Photojournalism« October 2005. Three days. University of Tulsa. Photo department. Oklahoma. USA.
    • CEPV. »Photojournalism« Spring 2005. Five days. Centre d’ Enseignement Professionel Vevey (CEPV). Switzerland
  • 2002
    • Amman.»Photojournalism«. One day at The Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts Amman. Jordan.