Location: United States
Anna Jast is an architect by education and a photographer by passion. Growing up in Vienna, Austria she graduated from Vienna University of Technology in Architecture. In 2009, she moved to Zurich, Switzerland where she discovered her talent for organizing events while working at the Baselworld Watch and Jewelry Show. Anna has over ten years of international experience in event management at many interior design and exhibition projects. Since moving to New York City in 2014, Anna supports the arts, while volunteering for art shows and cultural institutions. Photography has been her passion since college, having a breakthrough as a street photographer during the pandemic with her Save Our Spirit project.
Exhibitions
• 100 Small Works of Hope Group Exhibition - New York, April 2022
• Stand with Ukraine Group Exhibition - New York, April 2022
• SHE IS…2022 Group Exhibition - New York, March 2022
• International Women’s Day Group Exhibition - New York, March 2022
• Save Our Spirit - Artexpo New York, October 2021
• Protest City - The Museum of the City of New York, January - May 2021
• Women Street Photographers Group Exhibition - New York, December 2020
Photography is about capturing the Moment and showing the Magic of the World. New York City is a magical place and it changes constantly. I’m an architect and I love the energy of this City – it drives me and inspires me every day. My photos are mostly emotional, with a very esthetic component.
In March 2020 I started my photography project S.O.S – Save our Spirit on Instagram, with the message that while the Virus is strong, our Spirit is stronger. It was a visual diary of the Pandemic where I matched the news of the day with a relevant photo, mostly in a symbolic way.
When New York City became the Epicenter of the Pandemic, life suddenly disappeared. I was out every day documenting this surreal situation. It gave me very mixed emotions – I felt happy and sad at the same time. The City of Silence was beautiful from the artistic point of view, but it was painful to see my favorite city so empty and deserted. The Hope is that while the Virus is strong, our New York Spirit is stronger.
“Light of Hope” shows the view of Midtown Manhattan seen from Upper East Side. The picture symbolizes the Hope and Resilience of New York City during the pandemic and is the title image of my Save Our Spirit project.
Exhibition:
Artexpo New York 2021
Recognition:
Artexpo Newsletter
"City of Silence" shows the empty 7th Avenue in Times Square during the lockdown in April 2020. It was surreal to see this busy place so deserted and it felt like in a science fiction movie.
Exhibition:
Artexpo New York 2021
Recognition:
500px Shortlist for Untamed Cities
“Metropolis” shows the view of Midtown Manhattan seen from Upper East Side. The picture symbolizes the Hope and Resilience of New York City during the Pandemic.
Recognition:
Artexpo Newsletter
“Sad Reality” shows the view of Midtown Manhattan seen from Upper East Side where I spend four months during the lockdown in Spring 2020. The picture symbolizes the Pain and Isolation during the Pandemic.
Exhibition:
Artexpo New York 2021
“Melancholia” shows the view of Midtown Manhattan seen from Upper East Side where I spend four months during the lockdown in Spring 2020. The picture symbolizes in an abstract way the Pain and Isolation during the Pandemic.
“Hope is in the Air” is the perfect picture to express the isolation during the pandemic time in New York City. It shows empty Ghost City covered in fog and a stop sign at the light as a symbol of a forbidden zone. The famous HOPE sculpture delivers a message of hope, but the mood of the picture is very mysterious. The lost bike stands for loneliness and confusion, while the ONE WAY sign points to the HOPE sculpture. In addition, the CHASE signs remind us about not giving up and chasing Hope!
Exhibitions:
Artexpo New York 2021,
Quiet City: New York in the Time of COVID-19, The Sembrich Museum
Recognition:
Discoveries Collection, Artexpo New York 2021
In Spring 2020, when New York City became the Epicenter of the Pandemic, life suddenly disappeared. While I was photographing the empty Brooklyn Bridge, a nurse passed by and turned around as she knew I wished to see her gorgeous face. Thank you to all the healthcare workers for saving lives during these difficult times.
Recognition:
Neil Dankoff Photography Recognition in category Pandemic Diaries
“Before the Storm” shows the view of Midtown Manhattan on a stormy day. The picture symbolizes the uncertain times in New York City during the pandemic.
Exhibition:
Artexpo New York 2021
Due to the pandemic, indoor dining was closed for months in New York City and all the restaurant and bars created outdoor dining spaces on the sidewalks and streets. The city turned into a colorful patchwork of outdoor furniture, adding a new touch to our street life.
Exhibition:
Artexpo New York 2021
Recognition:
500px Shortlist for Storefronts
After the tragic death of George Floyd on May 25, 2020 the whole country was taken over by Black Lives Matter protests in fight for Equality and Justice. That was the beginning of a turbulent summer 2020, when New York City experienced hundreds of protests. Local artists supported the movement and created BLM murals and graffiti around the city.
Exhibition:
Artexpo New York 2021
As a passionate cyclist and a Black Lives Matter supporter, I participated in weekly bike protests organized by Street Riders NYC throughout the summer of 2020. Justice Ride VII took place on Saturday, July 18th and started in Flushing Meadows, Queens. A huge crowd of cyclists was waiting to begin the ride when I saw the endless shadows of their bike wheels against the sun. I love to capture shadows, especially those of bikes. I literally went crazy when I saw so many of them in one spot, and I still remember the joy when I took this picture!
Exhibitions:
Artexpo New York 2021,
Women Street Photographers Group Exhibition in New York City, December 2020
Recognition:
Honorable Mention by Photoville Festival for The Best Photo Sitting on Your Phone
After the tragic death of George Floyd on May 25, 2020 the whole United States was took over by Black Lives Matter protests in fight for Equality and Justice. That was the beginning of a turbulent summer 2020 where New York City experienced hundreds of protests and NYPD was criticized for its brutality. Every Saturday there was a bike protest riding through different boroughs and chanting “Black Lives Matter”. This Justice Ride started off in Brooklyn Heights and thousands of cyclists, dressed in yellow, launched a peaceful ride through Brooklyn Bridge to Manhattan. Suddenly one of the protesters climbed the steel contraction and I captured his expressive waving with the US flag for Black Lives Matter.
During this difficult time of the Pandemic New York City transformed into a display of images spreading Love & Hope. The huge billboards in Times Square have been used to deliver uplifting messages to keep up our Spirit of Strength and Resilience.
Exhibition:
Artexpo New York 2021
After the tragic death of George Floyd on May 25, 2020 the whole United States was took over by Black Lives Matter protests in fight for Equality and Justice. Local artists took initiative and created multiple BLM street murals around the city. One of my favorites is in Lower Manhattan in front of Federal Courthouse. The letter A stands for Art, Architecture, Adventure, Ambition, Action, American Dream and Big Apple. And the blurry cyclist adds another dimension to it.
Exhibition:
Artexpo New York 2021
During this difficult time of the Pandemic New York City transformed into a display of images spreading Love & Hope. The huge billboards in Times Square have been used to deliver uplifting messages to keep up our Spirit of Strength and Resilience.
Exhibition:
Artexpo New York 2021
Recognition:
Artexpo Newsletter
“Social Distancing” is a new expression created during the pandemic to keep people apart from each other and to lower the risk of infection. The outdoors was the safest place to meet, and all the social life moved to the parks and the waterfront of New York City.
Exhibition:
Artexpo New York 2021
New York City is full of Street Art which is experiencing its Renaissance during the ongoing Pandemic. Local artists are painting Heart murals everywhere to keep up the Hope and spread Love around the City.
Exhibition:
Artexpo New York 2021
Recognition:
Artexpo Newsletter
“Time for Reflection” is a very symbolic picture of the pandemic time in New York City. I used abstract reflections to refer to the need for reflection about our behavior during these difficult times. If we don’t follow the rules as a community, we will not get rid of this Virus.
Recognition:
500px Editor's Choice
Due to the pandemic, indoor dining has an uncertain future. I took this picture before the pandemic, but it expresses perfectly the insecurity we feel while seeing large gatherings of people. Will we ever go back to the normal life again? For sure we all miss our social life and being close to people we love.
Exhibition:
Artexpo New York 2021
“Travel Nostalgia” expresses perfectly the longing for travels and adventure during the pandemic time. For over a year we were not allowed to travel anywhere, and people felt very depressed and isolated. Hopefully this pandemic will end soon, and we can take off again, to explore the World. Bon voyage!
Exhibition:
Artexpo New York 2021
“Light of Hope”
“City of Silence”
“Metropolis”
“Sad Reality”
“Melancholia”
“Hope is in the Air”
“True Hero”
“Before the Storm”
“Outdoor Dining”
“BLM Floyd”
“Justice Ride VII”
“Black Lives Matter”
“Never Give Up”
“Street Art”
“Love is the Answer”
“Social Distancing”
“Spread Love”
“Time for Reflection”
“Blurry Future”
“Travel Nostalgia”
