Berlin’s Legendary Photography (I)

The C/O Berlin, the Folkwang Museum in Essen and Sprengel Museum in Hanover present a joint exhibition project to mark the 40th founding anniversary of the Werkstatt für Photographie (Workshop for Photography), established in Berlin in 1976. Each of the three venues will host an exhibition showing the rise of a medium which, inspired by the self-confidence of American photography, was dedicated to an autonomous, artistic authorship. On the basis of multiple perspectives, the project paints a vivid picture of West-German photography in the 1970s and 1980s – complementing the success story of the Dusseldorf School for Photography. In this first cross-municipal collaboration, the three venues convey the history, influences and impact of the legendary Berlin-based photography institution and its protagonists.

Folkwang Museum, Essen
The Rebellious Image. Situation 1980: The Kreuzberg ‘Werkstatt für Photographie’ and the Young Folkwang Scene, 9 December 2016 to 19 February 2017

Under the title The Rebellious Image, the Folkwang Museum in Essen finds the general awakening of this era reflected in its own history: the death of influential photography teacher Otto Steinert in 1978 led to a state of open and productive uncertainty. Gradually, the city of Essen developed into an important mainstay for the exchange with Berlin, and became a focal point for young contemporary photography in West Germany.

For further information visit: Museum Folkwang Essen