Gallery, Editions & Fine Art Printing
The image as a tangible object: Zurich-based excellence in black-and-white.
Established in Zurich in 2016 as a specialized print studio and expanded in 2018 into a gallery by interdisciplinary artists Patricia Bühler and Anthony Chrétien, blackprint is a hybrid space operating at the intersection of artisanal craft, curatorial vision, and contemporary photographic practice.
Conceived as a public gallery, a high-precision black-and-white printing studio, and a curated edition programme, blackprint approaches each project with a holistic and material sensitivity, where the image is understood not merely as a reproduction, but as a physical and editorial object.
The Artists behind blackprint
blackprint is defined by the constant dialogue between two complementary artistic visions.
Patricia Bühler directs the curatorial and editorial programme. Born in Mexico City and trained in modern music and composition in Paris and Zurich, she draws on her experience as a musician and songwriter to shape the narrative of exhibitions and editions.
Her interdisciplinary background brings a unique rhythmic and tonal sensibility to her collaborations with artists and institutions, ensuring that each project is conceptually rigorous while attentive to the emotional resonance of the medium.
Anthony Chrétien combines technical mastery with a sculptural approach to the image. Born in Paris and with a background in Applied Arts in France, as well as design and exhibition scenography across Europe, he approaches printing as a process of physical construction.
Working with the Piezography® Pro carbon pigment system—described by the press as a form of “black magic”—he reveals exceptional tonal depth and material sensuality, redefining the expressive potential of black-and-white printing.
Material Craft & Editorial Vision
For blackprint, a photograph is never a neutral file, but the result of deliberate material choices. Printing is conceived as ‘Slow Art‘—a precise practice, involving testing, adjustment, and close engagement with paper, ink, and surface.
The studio works with a rigorous selection of rare and handmade papers, from Japanese Washi to Himalayan Khadi, chosen for their ability to interact with light, texture, and spatial presence.
Beyond paper, blackprint explores the physical extension of the photographic image through techniques such as glass lamination, transforming certain works into three-dimensional photography-sculptures that engage directly with their architectural and luminous environment.
The blackprint edition
A Contemporary Anachronism
Central to blackprint’s identity is blackprint edition, an editorial project originating from the founders’ private archive of antique glass plate photographs. Rather than reproducing historical material, the studio deliberately reinterprets these images through contemporary printing processes, formats, and supports.
This controlled anachronism allows century-old photographs to acquire a renewed presence—neither nostalgic nor archival, but firmly situated in the present.
Since 2018, this editorial vision has expanded to include collaborations with international contemporary photographers and emerging artists.
Each edition is conceived as a complete work, developed in-house with meticulous attention to tonal choices, paper, framing, packaging, and graphic design, in close collaboration with graphic designer Jacques Borel.
Networks & Memberships
blackprint is a proud member of:
actively contributing to the Swiss and international discourse around contemporary photography and image-based art.
Press
Tages-Anzeiger / Züritipp (2020)
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