Viktor Hübner [Vita]
Viktor Hübner’s practice is fueled by a deep curiosity about the lives of others and their fate. Through photography, audio recordings, and written accounts, he explores themes of community, displacement, ideology, and socio-political tension—contributing fragments to the broader narrative of our time. His work invites reflection on the layered complexities of identity, society, and contemporary life.
Born in 1988 in Gummersbach, Germany, to a family of ethnic Russian German repatriates from the former Soviet Union, Hübner grew up amid stories of survival, loss, and displacement. As a child, he was labeled unfit for regular schooling and nearly placed in a special needs institution. At school, he often stood on the edge of failure. These early influences shaped his sensitivity to the human condition and instilled a responsibility to preserve personal histories for future generations.
Hübner holds a BA in Visual Communication from the University of Applied Sciences Mainz (2016) and an MFA in Photography from the Rhode Island School of Design (2019), where he also studied anthropology and ethnography at Brown University. Alongside his artistic practice, he speaks at schools across Germany, sharing his personal story with honesty and vulnerability. By recounting the struggles of his early education and the path he carved against the odds, he encourages young people to trust their instincts, embrace their individuality, and believe in the possibility of transformation.
He was awarded a Fulbright scholarship in 2017 and later received the Rosanne Somerson Scholarship and a RISD Fellowship. His debut book The Americans I Met (André Frère Éditions, 2022) received 1st Place in the Professional Book category and Gold for Best Documentary Book at the Budapest International Foto Awards.
He currently lives and works in Tromsø, Norway, driven by a commitment to storytelling and to capturing the essence of humanity in all its nuance and complexity.
[Download Biography]
Viktor Hübner
