The second glance: A conversation about images, perspectives, and what connects

Inside "Ich seh’ etwas, was du nicht siehst": How Fondament x Der Greif’s photography open call is challenging German society clichés

The photography project "Ich seh’ etwas, was du nicht siehst" (“I Spy with My Little Eye”) is an open call for images that show Germany through the eyes of the people who live here. In this interview, initiators Josefine Cox (Managing Director, Fondament and Caroline von Courten (Artistic Director, Der Greif) speak about the connecting power of images. A conversation about the courage to embrace one's own perspective and why, in a loud world, we urgently need to take time for a second glance.

Ilaria Sponda: To start things off: Der Greif stands for photography, Fondament for social dialogue. What drives you in your respective work?

Josefine Cox: At its core, Fondament is driven by a very simple yet profound question: How do we want to live together without losing sight of one another? We focus on topics like social cohesion, poverty, participation, and equal opportunity, but above all, on the people behind these terms. We often talk about social inequality in highly abstract terms, even though it is actually about concrete everyday realities: about whether you feel seen, whether you belong, and what opportunities are open to you. We believe that a society does not change through laws alone, but particularly through the stories it tells about itself. Culture can create spaces for this: spaces where we don't immediately judge people, but instead meet them with more curiosity, openness, and attentiveness. And that is exactly where the connection to photography comes in for us. Images can prompt us to pause, look closer, and perhaps recognize something we previously overlooked. We are driven by the hope that this will foster greater mutual understanding and greater closeness.

Caroline von Courten: At Der Greif, our heart beats for often (as yet) unknown photographic talents, regardless of their origin or age, whether they are professionals or simply passionate. For them, we are a springboard and a safety net all at once. Anyone can submit their work to us (all of our content is crowd-sourced); we then connect the works and the photographers with renowned artists, curators, photo editors, authors, and gallery owners worldwide. From the very beginning, now spanning eighteen years, our goal has been to make art and culture more accessible and to do so through a playful dialogue with contemporary photography. Both online and offline. By now, we have become the premier global destination for anyone looking to navigate contemporary photography. Conversely, cultural creators browse our website and online archive in search of original, undiscovered photographic positions. Our physical on-site exhibitions are hands-on: for example, the audience creates the exhibition themselves by hanging image cards on the wall, or people flip through our annual magazine. The formula is right there in our name: ‘greif’ is a German word that means ‘to grasp,’ ‘to understand’. By making images tangible (‘greifbar’, in German), we simply better understand (‘begreifen’) complex contemporary visual cultures and histories.

IS: Fondament stems from social discourse, Der Greif from contemporary visual language. How exactly do these two worlds enrich each other in your joint project?

JC: Social discourse sometimes tends to categorize people: poor or privileged, visible or invisible, part of the majority or on the margins. But no human being fits entirely into a single category. Photography can remind us of that. It doesn't just show conditions; it shows people with contradictions, dignity, and individuality. At the same time, art also gains something from a social perspective: images stop being merely aesthetically interesting and instead become a form of listening. I believe it is only through this combination that a "third thing" emerges: a language that doesn't lecture, but touches, one that makes complex social issues humanly tangible.

CVC: From my point of view, Fondament and Der Greif share a deep interest in questioning structures. Structures that determine how we relate to life and our environment. From the very start, Der Greif has investigated the spaces of possibility within individual photos: How do images relate to one another in both digital and analog spaces when they come from different authors and therefore different contexts? Who or what determines the visibility of creative practitioners and phenomena, and why are others not shown? How does the dominance of repetitive visual logics work? Such discursive questions always resonate in our activities when we develop formats that encourage the audience to engage with photography in a way that is both serious and playful. The collaboration with Fondament enriches our content enormously. Through this partnership, we are engaging much more intensively with socio-critical issues here in Germany. And Fondament inspires us with their visionary and powerful way of illuminating social inequality in our society from the most diverse perspectives, moving us to take action together.

IS: We all know the children's game "Ich seh’ etwas, was du nicht siehst" (I Spy with My Little Eye). Why is this exact phrase the perfect title for the open call?

CVC: This phrase and this game immediately cause us to perceive our surroundings more attentively, making us alert to the smallest hidden details. Furthermore, it requires at least two people: dialogue is therefore the actual key to revealing the riddle. This playful immediacy makes the title simply perfect for our mission. It includes an honest admission: of course, I always see something that you don't see. Because our perception is largely colored by our individual social positioning and that is exactly why we need the stories behind and between the images.

JC: Exactly. This phrase contains something very simple and at the same time very true: no one sees the world completely. Even as children, we learn in this game that someone else can discover something we missed. That is exactly what happens constantly on a societal level. We look at the exact same situation and understand something completely different from it. We also like the warmth and openness of this phrase. It invites rather than lectures. It doesn't say, "I am right." Instead, it says, "Look again."

In the call for images, you mention: "One image, many perspectives." What exactly are you looking for in that moment of the "second glance": a visual discovery or a new interpretation?

JC: We are very interested in that moment of the ‘tilt.’ That brief split second when you realize: "Maybe my first glance wasn't the whole truth." We often judge very quickly, sometimes adults just as quickly as children. A single glance is enough, and we think we know: Is someone successful or poor? Do they belong or not? Are they strong or weak? And then a second glance suddenly changes everything. Maybe at first we only see an exhausted woman on a sofa. And only later do we find out that she just finished a physically grueling shift in a hospital laundry. Suddenly, not only does the image change, but so does our view of this person. That is exactly the shift that interests us.

CVC: Precisely. For us, it’s about a "shift in perspective" and that transitional moment where you become aware of the factors that (co-)determine how we perceive something in a photo in that first quick moment. And then, what opens up as soon as we listen more closely to the photo. Either by gaining more context or by becoming aware of the how: How is the image being shown to me? How am I looking at it? What expectations do I (already) bring to the image?

IS: Images can spark conversations, but what does that look like? How does a photo turn into a dialogue?

JC: An image becomes a dialogue when it leaves room for one's own thoughts. A truly good image doesn't lecture us from above, it reaches out its hand and invites us to question our own stereotypes. It doesn't just show a single truth; it challenges us to look closer. Often, the conversation begins right there: when different people recognize different things in the same image. And then something very beautiful happens: people suddenly stop talking just about topics, and start talking about themselves, their experiences, memories, and their view of the world. Images sometimes create a way of connecting that debates alone cannot achieve.

CVC: If you take a photo as the starting point for a conversation between several people, it immediately becomes clear that we have just as many ways of looking at it as there are people in the room. A very inspiring method for this is Visual Thinking Strategies, which asks three questions to everyone in the room: What is going on in this picture? What do you see that makes you say that? And what more can you find? On one hand, a photo is incredibly concrete because I see what I see, right?! On the other hand, there is so incredibly much that I don't see. It is, after all, only a tiny snippet of the temporal and spatial whole, and so static that we cannot get or switch between different angles. So what do we logically do? We fill the information gaps with our own interpretations, associations, and emotions. That is why an honest conversation about a photo goes so deep: that way, we don't just get to know the world in the photo a little better, but also each other.

IS: Changing perspectives often sounds like a major theoretical exercise. Do you have a concrete example of an image whose meaning suddenly flipped completely?

CVC: Quite concretely: the caption! An image becomes entirely different as soon as the context is revealed or changes. Image and text have a very special relationship in that regard. They change everything! That is why, when you submit your images, we specifically ask you to explain: What do you see that we don't see? An example: In one of our first conversations, Josefine and I were talking, fascinated, about an image featured in the current issue of our magazine on the theme Tomorrow is Today: a close-up showing the two hands of an older lady with bright red nail polish holding up the bare torso of a baby. A baby's back, two hands, no other details. Josefine and I spoke about intergenerational solidarity on the path into tomorrow. We saw something positive and hopeful in it. A few months later, I interviewed the photographer of the image, Mauro Macchioni, for our “Spread the Dialogue” feature, which focuses specifically on the stories behind photos. With a smile, he told me that the situation at the time actually had something slightly eerie about it. The woman was anything but delicate: she was rather loud, just like her nail polish color. Mauro's photo is still the same as it was before, but my view of it has tripled since then: first my own perception, then Josefine's thoughts about it, and Mauro's insight from behind the scenes. And the key was always a conversation!

JC: For me, that is the exact core of the project. Let's take again the image of an exhausted mother sitting on the sofa after work. From the outside, you could read this image in very different ways. Some might think: tired, passive, detached. It is only through her daughter's perspective that the meaning changes. The daughter knows: this woman spent the whole day washing heavy hospital laundry. She can barely lift her arms anymore. Suddenly, you no longer just see fatigue, but care, labor, burden, dignity. The same image—but a completely different perception. It is exactly these kinds of shifts that we are looking for.

IS: You are looking for insights into the lives of people in Germany. How do you ensure that complex, genuine stories become visible instead of just well-known clichés?

JC: By trying not to prematurely categorize people or reduce them to a single story. As soon as someone is reduced to "the single mother," "the migrant," "the unemployed person," or "the privileged person," we lose something essential. People are always more than what we see in them at first glance, and far more multifaceted than the categories we often box them into. That is precisely the challenge: for all of us. Our gaze is never entirely neutral. We are interested in exactly these nuances: strength and exhaustion at the same time. Vulnerability and dignity. (Alternatively: You can be strong and at the same time infinitely tired. You can belong and still feel like a stranger.) Closeness despite differences. Hope even where life is hard. We hope for images that do not judge prematurely or reduce people to their shortcomings, but instead give them space. Space for complexity, for their own stories, and for what you might only recognize upon a second or third look. Because real closeness often arises at the exact moment we stop trying to immediately explain someone away.

CVC: To ensure this, we must also be aware of our own expectations: our gaze is never neutral. If you think about it, whenever we look at a photo, we search for recognizable clues to understand it. So we already have certain preconceived expectations of the image. "Ich seh' etwas, was du nicht siehst" gives us the chance to scan the image more closely with our eyes once again. To linger longer and ask ourselves: What am I seeing here that might not actually be the case? The longer we look, the more we notice, and the more we move away from this categorizing, perhaps even stigmatizing gaze. We as Fondament and Der Greif must therefore create places, spaces, conversations, and moments that make such lingering with images possible.

IS: What can images trigger in us that numbers and statistics cannot achieve?

CVC: Emotions! Long underestimated, even in photo theory, the emotional impact photos have on us is much larger than the factual content (what exactly is to be seen in the photo). Because a static photo is only a minimal but precise excerpt of a reality, we fill this lack of information with our own felt associations. As you said: images immediately trigger something within us. It is precisely because of this power that we chose this medium for our project. Moreover, since the invention of smartphone cameras, we almost always have them at hand and often share things thoughtlessly, yet still in the sense of: Look what I see right now that you don't see! By sharing, we let each other participate.

JC: Statistics about poverty or inequality are important for understanding structures. But they often create distance. Images, on the other hand, allow us to feel. They show us what it means in everyday life to have to get by with very little money, to carry an immense amount of responsibility, or to maintain one's dignity under enormous pressure. Where terms remain abstract, a photo suddenly creates closeness. And I believe that is exactly where empathy is born. Not through moral pressure, but through proximity. Through the feeling: This person could be me. Or someone I love.

IS: Der Greif often works with images that defy simple interpretation, being fragmentary and ambiguous. Why is this exact artistic sensitivity so vital for Fondament's mission?

JC: From our point of view, ambiguity is not a flaw, but often the most honest form of reality. Social life is rarely clear-cut. People are full of contradictions, situations are multifaceted, and experiences can rarely be packed into a single explanation. That is why this shared gaze on images is so important to us. Together with Der Greif, we want to select works that do not prematurely dictate what we should think, but leave room: for questions, for different interpretations, and for what might only become visible upon closer, longer inspection. And that is exactly what is important for social issues. Because as soon as we believe we have fully understood people or lived realities, we often stop listening. Ambiguity can therefore be something deeply human.

CVC: Ultimately, this sensitivity is a call to look closer and listen better, especially when it comes to less familiar worlds and voices. That is why Der Greif is committed to providing a stage for unknown photographers from all over the world—in exhibition formats and in our magazine. A simple interpretation might give us brief satisfaction, but the wonder lies in asking questions. It is also a necessity when dealing with complex social relationships. Asking questions and listening are the alpha and omega for me. And it is precisely in the spaces in between that there is so much to discover together.

IS: Why now? What makes this project so important in Germany's current social climate?

JC: Because we live in a time when people talk almost exclusively about others, but far too rarely with them. Many debates are loud, fast, and highly judgmental. There is a lot of outrage nowadays, but sometimes very little genuine listening. At the same time, many people experience something completely different in their everyday lives: neighborliness, care, cohesion, mutual support. These quiet forms of togetherness often disappear behind the loud images of our time. We wanted to create a space that looks precisely there.

CVC: I feel similarly. Domestic political tensions as well as geopolitical ones sometimes leave us with a deep sigh. As an individual voice, you often feel powerless against systems that chase profits rather than focusing on people. At the same time, however, there are so many fantastic initiatives and individuals who, in this time shaped by uncertainty, are already conceptualizing, living out, and sharing alternative models with us. So it is absolutely vital that we see what you see! Every single voice is essential for us as a community! Black and white doesn't exist. Not even in black-and-white photography; actually, it could better be called grayscale photography.

IS: The focus of the Open Call is on Germany. What do you hope to learn about this country through the eyes of the participants?

JC: I am particularly interested in images that do not reveal themselves fully right away. Images from everyday realities that shift one's own perspective. Perhaps conversations and new perspectives on one another will emerge from exactly that. Perhaps through this, we will discover a different picture of Germany: one that is less shaped by fear and labels, and more by attentiveness, humanity, confidence, and the courage to meet each other more openly again and move forward together.

CVC: I don't really have anything concrete in mind; instead, I am mostly looking forward to all the different perspectives. To this discovery and strolling through the visual stories that I mentioned earlier. There is so much to learn from one another!

IS: You are bridging the gap between art and society. What stone do you want to set rolling for the future of your organizations with this project?

CVC: : Ideally, I want this project to create waves once we give it that first push, growing over the years into a real visual movement. For Der Greif, a project focusing on Germany is unique, as our submissions usually come from over 160 countries, and in that sense, we tend to deal with global or medium-reflective themes. Through our collaboration with Fondament, "Ich seh' etwas" is rooted much deeper in social discourse than is usually the case in other Der Greif projects. That, combined with photography's great potential to look at entrenched things anew and let us think further in other directions, is simply the perfect match.

JC: I would wish that we, as a society and also in politics, learn to look a little closer and listen again. That we acknowledge how complex people are, and stop believing we can understand or judge them at first glance. If this project contributes to fostering more empathy, more curiosity, and perhaps a bit more societal sensitivity, that would be an incredible amount. For Fondament, this means promoting forms of dialogue that make more perspectives visible, bring people into conversation with one another, and enable new solutions for the challenges of our time together.

IS: It takes courage to share your own viewpoint with the world. What do you wish for the participants?

JC: Above all, I wish them courage. The courage to say, "This is how I see the world." And at the same time, I wish for an openness to the fact that others see something else. That a multitude of individual perspectives does not create conflict, but a shared conversation and mutual listening. Perhaps we will then realize: we are more different than we thought and at the same time, more connected.

Everything from a smartphone snapshot to a professional series is welcome. What do you say to someone who is hesitating because their own images are supposedly "not professional enough"?

CVC: At Der Greif, it's never about the supposedly professional photo anyway, what even is that? A razor-sharp one? Any decent smartphone camera can do that by now. A particularly beautiful one? The perception of beauty is highly personal. A serious one? Pff. Let me tell you: you are absolutely good enough! Frankly, we can never say that enough anyway, given all this self-criticism... If the theme inspires you: great, that's what we want!

IS: You are deliberately avoiding classic placements and instead awarding three equal cash prizes. Why?

JC: Because this project is not about which perspective is ‘better.’ We deliberately want to avoid creating a winner-loser mindset. Different lived realities cannot be placed on a podium. The equal prizes are therefore also a symbol: every perspective can make something visible that is important for others.

IS: Let's get practical to wrap things up: Who can participate, how, and what exactly should be submitted?

JC: People of all age groups and backgrounds can participate completely independent of whether they shoot professionally or simply go through life attentively. Single images or series of up to ten photographs can be submitted. Titles and brief descriptions can be added. For instance, addressing the question: What second or third perspective is hidden in the image? Particularly important to us is the question: What do you see that others might overlook? All information, deadlines, and terms of participation can be found on Picter. And honestly, we are mostly just looking forward to images that let us look at one another differently for a moment.