About the HANDS Project
« The story of music through the story of the hands that make it »
When a photographer takes a portrait of a musician, he most likely pictures the face or the musician with his instrument. “HANDS” is going another way. I picture the part of the musician that has a significant part in making the tone, playing the note, or initiating the sound – his hands.
Project Goals
1. Print A Book
My current plan is to release a book with a huge selection of pictures. This is only an idea yet, as I am quite busy with acquiring, shooting, retouching, printing, and all the stuff related to the exhibitions. Stay tuned for the HANDS Book!
By the way, the photo shows Chuck Rainey and me. I was explaining my concept using a very early prototype of the HANDS book.
2. Prints & Exhibitions
I am always working on large printed versions (35″ x 20″) of selected hands that are exposed in galleries and music related places like jazz clubs and concert venues.
The collection of prints is currently more than 40 pictures, most with an accompanying live shot. If you are interested to expose them in your location please contact me.
For some high-res examples of the HANDS pictures, please visit the gallery.
3. Grow The Archive
The list of participating musicians is already way beyond 200. I am constantly looking for concerts that I like to visit, meet the artists and shoot their hands. So when you are out there on the road, close to my location, you might get a mail soon…
For a complete list of the participating artists please visit this page.
Upcoming Exhibitions
Theater am Wall, Warendorf - Part II
March 8 – June, 2019
After the great success of the first part of this exhibition from Oct 2018 to March 2019, we decided to start a second exhibition right away. We will just take the pictures from the first exhibition off the walls and replace them with a new set.
On March 8, 2019 there will be the “Vernissage #2” at the Theater
Your place here?
someday in the future
Do you have a nice club, theatre, bar with frequent live music? Do you want to hang some HANDS on your walls? Let me know, maybe we can deal something out.
Kloster Bentlage, Rheine
June 7 – August 4, 2019
The Kloster Bentlage is a beautiful place for concerts, exhibitions and creativity. I’m really looking forward to show 40 or more of my pictures at this beautiful place.
Vernissage will be on June 07, 2019, allowing the exhibition to be seen by visitors of the “Jazzfestival Rheine” that will be held on the following weekend.
Familienbildungsstätte Gronau
April 20 – June 19, 2020
There is a lot of space on the walls of the Familienbildungsstätte Gronau. We are planning a nice exhibition here plus a vernissage and concert. Stay tuned for more details.
Leverkusener Jazztage
Nov. 2018
This is going to be huge. More details will follow, but a lot of HANDS will be exposed at the 39th Leverkusener Jazztage in November 2019.
Stay tuned for more details.
Past Exhibitions
Theater am Wall, Warendorf - Part I
Oct. 11, 2018, to March 8, 2019
The Theater
21. Jazzfestival TU Dortmund
Jan. 21, 2017
40 large scale prints and a lot of accompanying stage shots will be exposed at the Jazzfestival of the TU Dortmund, Germany.
DAS GREIF, Lünen
May to June 2016
The first official HANDS exhibition. Over 30 large scale prints were exposed in a Rock’s’Roll bar in Lünen, Germany from May to June 2016.
SUPER Coffee, Lagos
July to September 2016
The pictures were exposed in a nice shop for coffee, food, art and handmade products at the wonderful Algarve in Portugal from July to September 2016.
Artist Comments
Carla and I agree – the photos are wonderful! Thanks for including us.
Steve SwallowCongratulations on your beautiful work!
Jon GommDude…
Amazing!!! That came out great. I think it says it all!!
This is beautiful!! And BRILLIANT! Our hands say so much about us. So honored to be featured with some of my favorites and bass idols!
Nik WestThank you Marc for bringing all these epic hands together .. Honoured to be part of this beautiful project.
Tanya O’CallaghanEin sehr beeindruckendes Projekt.
Ufo WalterMy compliments on your aesthetic visioning book project. I am honored to be part of it.
Really excellent photography, Marc. Bravo.
Peter ErskineThe story of our music through the stories in our hands. Grateful to be a part of it!
Steve LawsonLove this. So great to be in the company of so many great musicians. Thanx Marc. This project is such a remarkable one!
Divinity RoxxThis is a beautiful project and it could not be in better HANDS.
Sari SchorrT-Shirts Available
The most iconic HANDS photo as artwork on a Classic Jersey T-Shirt made from 100% Combed Organic Cotton. The front side shows the hands of Bakithi Kumalo and Ana Orias Balderas. Backside shows the hands motto. Men’s M, L, XL and woman’s S, M, L available.
The incredibly marvellous
HANDS T-Shirt
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About The Photographer
Marc Mennigmann
Photographer, Musician, Entrepreneur, whatever...
Marc Mennigmann worked as a session musician for piano and Chapman Stick in the 1990s and founded two companies which both still exist.
He started photography in the new millennium using medium format film and a Lomo camera, switching to digital years later.
Currently, his main interest is taking portraits and shooting musicians on and behind the stage.
You can contact Marc on this page.