Traces of Becoming

• Prize
  Honorable Mention
• Photographer
  Michael Hagen, Germany
• Date of Photograph
  June 2025
• Instagram
  @mhio_71

In Traces of Becoming, emergence and dissolution weave a dialogue of light, matter, and myth—an echo of my own path. The series moves inward and outward, beginning in quiet reflection, touching on time, resilience, and transience. It opens the gaze to shifting perspectives, letting one feel the gentle ache of hubris. From insight and surrender grows the choice not just to shape oneself, but to join a greater whole. In the end, the outer path turns inward, inviting pause, feeling, and the completion of becoming and fading through personal understanding.

My name is Michael Hagen. I began practicing photographic art in early 2025 after a serious illness forced me to leave my previous profession. During this time, art became a way to process inner experiences and reflect on change and human existence. In my work I explore what I call the “echoes of the seen” — the emotional resonance that visual impressions leave within us, transforming photographic material into intuitive fine art images about perception, memory and inner states.

Awards EDITORIAL SELECTIONS & AWARDS
LensCulture Art Photography Awards 2026 – 2× Editors’ Pick
IPA 2025 – Official Selection, Honorable Mention
PX3 / TIFA / BIFA / ND Awards 2025 – multiple Honorable Mentions
LICC 2025 – Official Selection (multiple works)

EXHIBITIONS & COLLECTIONS

• TRIESTE PHOTO DAYS 2025: 10 artworks exhibited at Trieste Airport & ARCI Trieste, Italy.
• SALON FÜR KUNSTBUCH, VIENNA: Art books "VITA" & "Requiem" included in the permanent archive of Bernhard Cella.