In his series of works, photographer Michael Wolf shows the powerful natural spectacle of sunrises over Hong Kong Bay. In doing so, he expands his photography into the dimension of painting and deals with the motif of freedom.

From his apartment on Cheung Chau Island off Hong Kong, Michael Wolf photographed sunrises for two years - every morning between 5:30 and 7:30 a.m. In this context, he developed the concept of a new painterly and topographical photo series.

The fascinating photographs of these timeless and ephemeral natural spectacles appear to be an alternative to Michael Wolf's previous works, which address the lack of space and adaptation to economic conditions in large cities. In the context of his socially critical work, Wolf's “discovery of the sky and the horizon” is to be understood as a project of freedom in a place that is synonymous with these extreme working and living conditions.

The photographs from “Cheung Chau Sunrises” were shown for the first time as part of the retrospective exhibition “Life in Cities” at the Haus der Photographie in Hamburg.