Great Expectations, 2022 – ongoing
Taking the theme of islands as its starting point, the photo series “Great Expectations” traces a broad arc from paradisiacal expectations of island living to the backdrop of tourism in times of the climate crisis. Revealing both the idyllic fantasies we harbor about island living and the stark realities of modern tourism, particularly as we grapple with the ramifications of changing landscapes. How could island life - which we always associate with a relaxing place of longing - take place in the future?
Islands are often small places, but with an immense impact. In times of rapidly rising sea levels and increasing storms, islands are vulnerable. As new islands emerge, old ones face drowning. In these changing landscapes, the evolution of island living is uncertain. How can we align our travel aspirations with the imperative of sustainable coexistence with nature? As simulations offer a means to sustain our emotional ties to these sought-after havens, they may also reshape how we approach travel.
Within in the frames of “Great Expectations” Roth navigates a balance between reality and fiction, between a place of longing and artificial bird chirping.
Exhibition view Leopoldmuseum Vienna, 2023
Artspace Bremerhaven, 2023
