Hans Gissinger
Hans Gissinger is a Swiss photographer whose work spans commercial, editorial, and fine-art photography. His photographs have been featured in various publications and projects, including the cover of Michael Pollan's book The Omnivore's Dilemma.
Early life and education
Gissinger was born in Zurich, Switzerland, where he completed his secondary education. Following military service, he traveled throughout Europe, engaging in various professions before returning to Switzerland in 1970 to work in the film and photography department of Pro Helvetia, a Swiss governmental cultural-exchange foundation.Career
In 1972, Gissinger moved to Vézelay in the Burgundy region of France. There he formed a close friendship with Claude Stassart and his son Gilles Stassart, who would later become key collaborators in his publishing projects.By 1976, Gissinger had committed fully to photography, establishing a successful career across Switzerland, Germany, Italy, England, and France. He first traveled to Los Angeles in 1987, and later returned to the United States to connect with his art agent. In 1994, he relocated to New York City, where he began developing artistic projects focused on photography and book publication.
In 2000, Gissinger published La Conversation, a photographic book created in collaboration with French chef Marc Meneau, featuring 370 black-and-white photographs and texts by Meneau and Gilles Stassart. His second book, Salami, again in collaboration with Stassart and writer Gérard Oberlé, featured 60 photographic portraits of Italian sausages. Concurrently, Gissinger produced a series of 15 large-format two-color silk screens based on La Conversation.
In 2003, he began working on a new project themed around fire, in collaboration with New York chef Frank De Carlo. Two years later, Gissinger launched Tartas, a project with renowned pastry chef Christian Escribà, celebrating the centenary of the Escribà bakery in Barcelona. The work consisted of photographs and videos of exploding cakes, conceived as a metaphor for lightness, freedom, and subversion of traditional forms.