Ask Georg Riha how Dubai looked 30 years ago and he shows you his 1970s archive of old-yet-gorgeous images. “It was not a place but a memory and a development,'' Riha says.
“I was fascinated by the individuality and authenticity of the Orient. The contrast between the busy-ness and the rapid change of the city and the desert is not comparable with any other place in the world.''
A graduate of the Vienna Film Academy, Riha started his career as a photographer concentrating on industrial, architectural and aerial photography.
In the 1970s, he was working for Austrian industrial enterprises in the emirates, where he took pictures of the desert, dhows and a “growing'' Dubai.
The chance to fly in a helicopter enabled him to capture the unique images that offered new perspectives.
Riha's preferred themes have been nature, architecture and industry. “I have always been fascinated by the view from above and by exceptional pictures.
"One main topic in my work has been to show pictures of the typical characteristics of a different country such as the UAE: to show the most fascinating aspects of the landscapes, the history and architecture, the landmarks and the identity. The aesthetics show very much about a country and it is worth learning,'' he says.
According to Riha, the saying, “Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder'' has a further dimension in photography.
He says: “On the one hand there is a desire for absolute beauty and, sometimes we nearly find it; on the other is a desire for beauty of knowledge: when learning to know you meet inner beauty. In all my work I have always seen clear structures and definite expression,'' he says.
In contrast to his breathtaking photographs of Austria, Riha's historical images of the emirates will be exhibited in Abu Dhabi under three themes: the desert and Austrian landscapes, Dhows at the beach of Dubai and industrial photographs from Austria, and aerial photographs of Dubai and Austrian architecture.
“Dubai impressed me very much, especially the harbour and the main street. You could feel that everything was going to change.
"You felt you were standing right at the beginning of a new development, of a new time. I took these images being aware of such a comprehensive development within one generation, which is quite impressive,'' Riha says.
“I remember the flight on the helicopter with its door taken off, taking the photographs of these streets of Dubai.
"Flying in a helicopter is difficult and costly but with an excellent pilot and the right atmosphere and light, I forget every difficulty and the cost. I just experience magic moments of floating.
“Remembering the streets as they were 30 years ago, I am dreaming of again seeing the same streets now from the same point of view.
“It is pure bliss to have the possibility to capture those moments and enable others to experience [them] as well,'' he says.
Riha ranks among Austria's leading directors and producers who are able to combine state-of-the-art technology with creative image design.
He inculcates this in the offerings of his production company, Brains and Pictures, which ranks among the top Austrian production companies and is a sought-after provider of special camera equipment and unique camera systems for the creation of aerial, cable cam and time-lapse images.
“I founded Brains and Pictures to push the boundaries of the moving image to new and unobserved limits: floating images, unseen perspectives, undiscovered horizons. ... I have a desire to achieve unmatched perfection,'' Riha says.
“[Brains and Pictures] was meant to be a ‘think-tank', with a team of highly qualified employees who have made it their aim to create a film-and-video competence centre in Europe.
"And we have been successful. It has specialised in the conception of unique visual and special effects that often defy the imagination.''
When concentrating on film and video, Riha says he designs his own special equipment as no device elsewhere realises his vision of discovering and exploring the veiled views.
“These new systems enable me to add a very special touch to my productions, allowing the audience to experience a slightly different perspective to what they might be used to,'' he says.
The products resulting from this unique combination of vision and technical realisation are the Camblimp captive balloon system, the Campole pole system and a special time-lapse camera called Cam35TL.
Another product, the Camcat wire cam system, has been highly acclaimed for its advanced, fully remote-controlled cable camera system designed to provide vertical and horizontal camera movements between two fixed points up to 300 metres apart at speeds of up to 65 km/h.
Where cranes, dollies and helicopters can no longer compete, the Camcat system takes over to provide unique and stunning images from an otherwise unobtainable perspective.
With an unusual approach and efforts to achieve the highest quality, Riha has set new standards in the Austrian filmmaking industry. One can feel Riha's love for Austria in his productions.
His latest, a trilogy titled A Higher View of Things, is motivated by his interest in Austrian architecture, nature and landscapes, labour and industry.
“The creation of large, powerful and emotional images, the search for new views and the guiding principle of producing high-quality work are the driving forces behind my extraordinary projects,'' he says.
“I love my country and see myself as an ambassador to introduce its cultural variety to the world. I do not manipulate my pictures, they are classical photographs.''
Georg Riha's photography of Dubai and Austria will be on show from October 6 until October 15 at the Ghaf Art Gallery, Abu Dhabi.
