The European Month of Photography (EMOP) has every reason to celebrate: Germany’s largest photo festival is celebrating its 10th edition with over 100 exhibitions in Berlin and Potsdam. This year’s theme is “Touch”, and the program includes gallery shows, talks, panel discussions and guided tours. Events kick off this evening (02.03.2023) with the anniversary exhibition at the Amtsalon in Charlottenburg, with four floors of works by artists who have shaped how we see Berlin, including GDR photo giants Sibylle Bergemann and Helga Paris and up-and-coming artist Luise Marchand. Also recommended is tomorrow’s award ceremony, where the Käthe Kollwitz Prize will be given to Nan Goldin at the Akademie der Künste (03.03 from 20h). With her intimate 1980s portraits of the LGBTQ+ community, the American artist overcame pictorial boundaries. To mark the occasion, Goldin’s exhibition will be open until midnight, and we’re told there will be dancing after the ceremony!
The second large group show – Urgent Present – will open on Saturday (04.03). Held on Leipziger Straße, it features student works from a number of photography schools in Berlin and Potsdam. Many of the photos deal with the major crises of our time, not least the war in Ukraine. Continuing this topic, Ukrainian writer Yevgenia Belorusets and artist Tobias Zielony will discuss the creation of photography and literature in times of war (Sunday 05.03). Meanwhile at Villa Heike in Hohenschönhausen: the Chinese photo artist Cai Dongdong deals with the history of his home country through collages and image manipulation. Over at C/O Berlin you’ll find works by color photography pioneer William Eggleston that capture the carefree American dream with everyday scenes. Free of storytelling are the fleeting black-and-white photographs of the Belgian Dirk Braeckman, whose work gallery owner Thomas Fischer is showing in his gallery in Mitte and at Andreas Murkudis on Potsdamer Straße (from 10.03). Over in Charlottenburg, gallery owner Anahita Sadighi is inviting visitors to the KantGaragen to celebrate Iranian New Year (24.03) with Cast out of Heaven, an exhibition by photographer Hashem Shakeri that will act as a backdrop for Persian poems and performances.
Text: Laura Storfner / Photos: Ulrike Ottinger; Giulia Degasperi, HTW Berlin & Anastasia Samoylova
EMOP – European Month of Photography 02–31.03.2023
For the program and exhibition venues see here.
Amtsalon, Kantstr.79, 10627 Berlin–Charlottenburg; map
Touch, until 31.03, Tue–Sun 11–19h (opens 02.03 from 19h)
Talk by Yevgenia Belorusets & Tobias Zielony: “I’ve changed my mind.” Photography, Literature and War 05.03 15h
Akademie der Künste, Hanseatenweg 10, 10557 Berlin–Tiergarten; map
Nan Goldin receives the Käthe Kollwitz Prize, 03.03 from 20h (free admission, ticket required for the award ceremony)
EMOP Special c/o Leipziger Str.54, 10117 Berlin–Mitte; map
Urgent Present, 04.03–26.03, Mon–Fri 14–18h, Sat & Sun 14–18h (opens 04.03 from 19h)
Villa Heike, Freienwalder Str.17, 13055 Berlin–Alt-Hohenschönhausen; map
Obstacles: Cai Dongdong 02.03–02.04, Wed–Sat 14–18h (opens 02.03 from 17h)
C/O Berlin, Hardenbergstr.22–24, 10623 Berlin–Charlottenburg; map
William Eggleston: Mystery of the Ordinary until 04.05, daily 11–20h
Galerie Thomas Fischer, Mulackstr.14. 10119 Berlin–Mitte; map
Dirk Braeckman, 11.03–15.04, Thu–Sat 12–18h (opens 10.03 18–21h)
Andreas Murkudis, Potsdamer Str.98, 10785 Berlin–Tiergarten; map
Dirk Braeckman, 11.03–15.04, Wed–Sat 12–18h (opens 11.03 14–18h)
Anahita Contemporary c/o stilwerk KantGaragen, Kantstr.125, 10625 Berlin–Charlottenburg; map
Cast out of Heaven // رانده شدهها از بهشت,
02.03–01.04, Tue–Fri 11–19h & Sat 11–16h. Norouz New Year celebration 24.03 from 19h
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