Nature nominee

In the 'Witch’s Wood' of Rügen, I seek the precise moment where perception falters. Utilising a single in-camera exposure, a mirrored reflection overlays the forest, disrupting traditional order. The resulting image is rotated by 180 degrees, causing the reflection at the top to manifest as the 'authentic' woodland, while the actual forest below recedes into a surreal, spectral appearance.

Consequently, the work is titled 'The Witch's Looking-Glass', as it invites the viewer to step through the surface of the seen into a realm where natural laws are suspended. Trunks become columns and the woodland floor transforms into a ceiling—a visual puzzle that 'bewitches' the viewer’s gaze. By capturing the lush, original greens of the canopy, the work serves as a silent testament to how easily our worldviews can shift. It is a study of a landscape that is both physically grounded and surreally inverted, inviting a deeper enquiry into the nature of reality.

Marcel van Beek (b. 1990, Bonn) is a Leipzig-based contemporary visual artist working at the intersection of photography, science, and fine art. Trained at Alanus University of Arts and Social Sciences (BFA with distinction), and shaped by an early background in stage design, he combines formal rigour with cinematic intensity.
His practice explores the fragile relationship between humanity and nature, oscillating between sociopolitical commentary and poetic abstraction. Often developed in dialogue with scientific institutions, his projects address the conditio humana and planetary boundaries. In his recent work, he focuses on the "micro-topography" of surfaces, using strictly in-camera techniques to reveal the hidden geometries of the natural world.
Van Beek’s work has been shown in solo exhibitions at the German Environment Agency, the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), and Leipzig University Library. His photography is held in public collections, including Leipzig University, and is represented internationally via Cuencas Art Gallery on Artsy and Singulart’s curated "In Focus" programme. He has also contributed to lecture series on municipal climate adaptation at Leipzig University. By merging scientific inquiry with a deep focus on materiality, he challenges our perception of time and the biological skin of our planet.