The Dawn Challenge

This panoramic photograph shows Piz Bernina, the easternmost summit peak in the Alps. At 4048 metres above sea level, it is the highest point in Switzerland's Bernina massif. In the foreground, the famous Biancograt, a mythical, celestial ridge, leads to summit on the Pizzo Bianco, also known as Piz Alv, which rises to 3994 metres above sea level. When he reaches this ridge, the climber tells himself that he will soon have conquered Piz Bernina. But his enthusiasm soon gave way to sheer willpower when he realized that a long and difficult rocky traverse still separated him from his goal.

I made this work one spring morning, after several years of repeated effort. The Bernina range is a six-hour drive from my home on the other side of Switzerland. The operation had to be planned according to the weather forecast. Armed with perseverance, I had to be in the right place at the precise moment when the magic would happen. When it snows in spring, the purity of the snow cover fades in just a few minutes, as soon as the sun's rays begin to caress the rock faces. So I had to capture the ephemeral, divine beauty of these exceptional summits images, destined to melt back into reality in no time.

I love this panorama for its powerful contrasts, which particularly highlight these imposing summits. The pure, brilliant spring light enhances the overall effect. In the center, the aestheticism of Biancograt, that jewel of the Alps, seems to delimit light and shadow, Yin and Yang. Clouds also play a major role in this painting, as they do in my art. And this is where the luck factor comes into play, as they are unpredictable in both their appearance and their trajectory. On this grandiose view, I waited for the clouds to take their place like this, giving the impression that the ridge was tearing the sky apart, the better to reveal its splendor to the world. The clouds that emerge behind the mountain finally seem to make summits smoke, giving the image a feeling of strength and eternity.