The ‘ Chiemgauer UnternehmensKunst 2010’ project (Chiemgau EnterpriseArt 2010) is unique: Photographer Sead Husic staged a creative photo shoot with the employees of more than 20 companies from the Bavarian Chiemgau region and had company management and staff pose in front of a Leica S2 lens. We spoke to Sead Husic about this spectacular photographic concept based on an original idea by the creative agency, Murner Wagner.

Q: Mr. Husic, you are currently involved in the project EnterpriseArt. This photography project will eventually show a total of 23 companies from the southern German Chiemgau region in a totally new light. How did you get involved in this rather unusual project?

A: At first, the intent of the project was to get in touch with companies based in our region. So the underlying idea was strictly in the area of marketing. In the meantime, EnterpriseArt has evolved to become much more than a marketing project for our agency, Murner Wagner.

Q: Your earlier assignments included photography for the global jewellery and watch company Fossil. How, for instance, did you realise this project for the client?

A: Well, of course, every assignment begins with researching the facts and history of the company. Then we began to think about how we could present the company in an unusual way – without the usual advertising techniques. Looking at the finished results, people should be totally amazed. At Fossil, we posed the two managing directors as the hands of a watch made of 400 Fossil boxes and photographed the assignment in an enormous warehouse.

Q: So, the clients’ employees or representatives are always faced with some kind of challenge in your photo shoots. Do they always play along?

A: ‘Playing along’ is a good way of putting it! What we demand from the companies’ employees is almost identical to what directors demand from actors on the stage. Of course, the greater the number of employees involved in a shoot, the longer the preparations and the actual photo shoot take. But, I must admit, the enthusiasm everyone brings to the projects surprises us every time.

Q: You’ll be photographing the entire project with a Leica S2. Any particular reason why?

A: During the initial discussions, one of the company owners asked if we would be using equipment ‘Made in Germany’ – because only German companies were taking part in the project. He was a Leica owner himself. We thought this would be a fantastic idea. With the support of Leica, we were able to use an S2 for the project. Working with Leica equipment is a perfect complement to our project idea.

Q: Do you find this perfection in everyday work with the Leica S2?

A: I certainly do. I very soon got used to the handling of the Leica S2; its menu navigation is incredibly intuitive. At the same time, the S2 makes it so fast and easy to change your settings and spontaneously try out new ideas.

Q: What can you tell us about the practical experience gathered from around 20 shoots?

A: First of all: the batteries last a very long time! I was able to work non-stop with the S2 without constantly taking breaks to change the battery. That’s a great advantage you can only find out about when you’re using it on the job. The reliability of Leica is pretty impressive, too – we shot the entire extended project with the S2. It functioned perfectly and never once let us down with any glitches or sudden crashes. On top of this, our shots were printed up in large format at 120 × 180 centimetres and used for an exhibition. The S2 also delivers the perfect resolution and quality we need for this kind of work.

Q: When and where will we be able to see the results?

A: The official exhibition opens in the Maxhuette Industrial Museum on 15 October. All the pictures will be shown simultaneously in a specially designed online gallery, and Leica will be showing the pictures online, too.

Q: One last question: will the EnterpriseArt project remain limited to your region – or are you planning to expand the idea beyond the borders of Chiemgau?

A: We have actually already had a number of enquiries from companies who found out about the project through the media. And the owners and staff of the companies we have photographed so far have shared their experiences during the shoot for this unique project. The EnterpriseArt project and its depiction of company owners, managers and employees as rock stars or artists is really a unique idea. And this is why we are currently planning to bring the EnterpriseArt project to the rest of Germany.

Sead Husi, thank you very much for the interview.

– Leica Internet Team

Find more information online, visit http://www.murnerwagner.com/projektdetail.php?id=13 and http://www.seadhusic.de .