“We choose each other again and again,” says Vincent Wechselberger, the Berlin-based photographer, speaking on the bond between him and his sisters. It is a fondness he has been documenting for years, now gathered in his latest project, Sisters. Unlike the typical childhood snapshots of awkwardly posed siblings at birthdays or holidays, Wechselberger’s series traces his siblings across quiet corners of their homes, open grassy fields and amber-lit city streets, capturing their connection as it reshapes over time.
That connection began in the rural Austrian countryside, in a village of just five houses. Wechselberger recalls hours spent wandering the woods with his siblings, playing in grasslands, and inventing worlds only they could see. Only when sifting through old family albums did he realise he had already been pointing the lens at his sisters. “Even back then, I already thought my sisters were pretty cool, each of them in a different way.” Although taken years later, his images still capture that childhood closeness. One photo shows them sprawled on a sofa, sunlight spilling into the room, while another finds them grazing in grassy meadows. Sisters shows a world that stretches far beyond the confines of their small village.
Those worlds drew closer when two of his sisters followed him to Berlin, a city celebrated for its queer culture and intimacy. “We found ourselves becoming close again, discovering how similar we are. We always end up at the same parties,” he says. “Living in Berlin, surrounded by people who live out their queerness proudly and openly, I have come to see how radical and beautiful our bond really is. It helped us rewrite the script.” Although he did not view their siblinghood through a queer lens growing up, queerness now forms an essential part of their bond. “We’re all queer, and I think queerness shows up not just in who we are, but in how we relate to each other, with softness, complexity, fluidity.” It’s a quality visible in the images: siblings hugging in embrace, sleeping side by side, or interlocking hands.
It is a closeness not all siblings share, but for Wechselberger, this family is both chosen and biological. It’s a concept that will resonate especially with queer people who often build their own definitions of family wherever they find it. “We’ve pushed our bond to an intense level of closeness that can make others uncomfortable. It is raw, provocative, and sometimes almost scary, but for us, it is simply who we are,” he says. He found that photographing his siblings, even in vulnerable moments, opened up conversations about their needs, fears, and things they can process together. “We have so many different views on the world, and it is enlightening to actively work on our relationships together.”
That is not to say his sibling relationship is always a utopia, but photographing these moments is a way to mediate that intensity. “The camera is definitely a shield sometimes. Living together again as adults means a lot of emotional closeness, and things can get quite intense. In those moments, the camera gives me a bit of distance when I need it.” At the same time, documenting intimate moments only brings them closer. “It is also a mirror, reflecting back not just who they are, but who we are together, with our shared struggles, similarities, and support systems. It has shown me how blessed I am to go through life with them by my side.”
One image in particular feels like the centrepiece of the project: siblings Antonia and Rosa hugging in front of the trees at a cabin in the Austrian mountains, bathed in the evening sun. “For me, this moment mirrors the strong bond my sisters and I had during our childhood, and I am very happy that we reconnect in these moments in a new way,” he says.
As Wechselberger opens up the world of Sisters, he offers a look into moments both intimate and everyday that define siblinghood. The project will first appear as a zine next year, with a more expansive photobook planned in the coming years. He hopes to inspire reflection on the relationships we choose and nurture. “I hope it encourages people to check in on their siblings or their chosen families. To be tender. To pay attention. To exist fully in their own truth. To celebrate the weird, wonderful intimacy that exists in those everyday moments with the people who really know you.”
