Biography

Born in Wettingen, Switzerland.

Andreas Seibert studied German philology and philosophy at the University of Zurich and photography at Zurich University of the Arts.

From 1997 to 2013, he lived in Tokyo, where he worked extensively throughout Asia, with a particular focus on China. During this time, he was profoundly influenced by Japanese photography, renowned for its in-depth documentary approach. This influence is reflected in the way he develops visual narratives around complex topics such as the social, environmental, and economic challenges of our time, often in conjunction with text.

His photography combines social documentation, critical reflection, and visual poetry, inviting viewers to reflect on the consequences of human action.

His long-term photographic work in China brought him international recognition, particularly through his documentation of China’s internal migrants and the social and environmental consequences of rapid economic growth. His work has been published in numerous magazines and exhibited internationally. His exhibitions include a solo exhibition at the Swiss Foundation for Photography.

His photobook “From Somewhere to Nowhere. China’s Internal Migrants” (2008) is a compelling photographic documentation that explores the social and economic impacts of rapid economic growth on the everyday lives of Chinese internal migrants, from the booming coastal cities to rural areas. It was nominated for the Kraszna-Krausz Book Awards in 2009, where it was ranked third.

“The Colors of Growth. China’s Huai River” (2012) was created along the banks of the Huai River, which divides China into a northern and a southern region. More than a thousand kilometers long, the river becomes a symbol of the contradictions and challenges facing the people of China. Andreas Seibert’s photographs are imbued with a melancholy beauty that often creates an emotional contrast to the harsh realities depicted. This photobook was awarded the Hans-Erni-Preis in 2013.

A year and a half after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Andreas Seibert began taking portraits of people living with Long Covid and ME/CFS. On the one hand, he was motivated by the question of whether and how photography can capture something that has no visible material form in front of the camera. On the other hand, he anticipated that the high number of infections and the resulting post-viral illnesses would pose major challenges for healthcare systems and societies as a whole. As the book’s title, “Über Sehen Über Leben. A Photographic Document”, suggests, this gave rise to a 424-page photographic work “about seeing” and “about life.” The book officially premiered at Literaturhaus Zürich on May 5, 2026.

Peter Pfrunder, former director of the Swiss Foundation for Photography, writes: “The strong impact of Andreas Seibert's images results not least from the fact that he pursues an aesthetic of his very own. Seibert's sense for special moods and his evident empathy with the people he met on his travels are important components of his lyrical documentary style.”

Biography

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