Vienna – what a charming city! The opening on Friday was quite full – 150?… 200? visitors – something like that. The gallery isn’t als big as the Berlin venue was, it’s more like a 3 room apartment here. That means that the exhibition is a bit more focused and that works very well I think. There’s another “Gallery Talk and Tour” today (2 – 5 pm) – so if you should be around Vienna – check this.
Tomorrow, 7pm: if you should be in or around Vienna, don’t miss the opening of Seconds2Real’s group show at Anzenberger Gallery. It’s the first time that I’m involved in an exhibition in Austria. I’m looking forward to a few days in Vienna meeting lots of nice people, celebrating the opening party for the 2ed Fascination Street exhibition and hopefully finding some good moments while photographing in the city. While I had some of my newer pictures in the Berlin edition of Fascination Street last autumn, the Vienna show will include some of my ALEX series from 2008-2010.
Btw: ORF published a nice article about Street Photography and Seconds2Real yesterday (German only).
A new exhibition at FENSTER61: Torsten Schumann is showing a selection of his colored photographs from the suburban area of Berlin, bizarre findings and odd looking still lifes. For an online impression of the exhibition – as always – see the FENSTER61 website and enjoy.
I’m looking forward to a few days of strolling through the city of Hamburg. Part of the visit will be the Saul Leiter exhibition, of course. I’ve just run a little research and found those fine links about the event. I’m also going to meet two fellows from Seconds2Real and a quite well known photographer for an interview. And of course I’ll be walking the streets looking for some good pictures to find me. Like this one that I got when I was there last time.
Unquiet slumbers for Wenke Seemann’s sleepers at FENSTER61… While Torstraße in Berlin Mitte is a quite noisy street anyway, the construction work right next to the window is still getting on our nerves. But inside the window we have the finest contrast to that – an installation of beautiful black and white photographs of people sleeping in their own private bed. Check out the series called “Mein kleiner Wecker tickt dazu/My little alarm clock is ticking to it” here. By the way – real insiders may spot two photographers amoung the people on the photographs who have showed their work at FENSTER61 in the past…
Currently at FENSTER61: Thorsten Strasas with “Berlin. Grey.” which is also part of Seconds2Real’s group show Fascination Street. See more of his very minimalistic, dark, reserved and concrete-dominated visions here.
Seconds2Real’s exhibition “Fascination Street” will have its next stop in Vienna. As it is my first exhibition in Austria, I am going to show parts of my series and book ALEX from 2008-2010. All details here.
The relaunch of FENSTER61’s website is online. Almost 70 exhibitions are in the archive by now, all about Berlin. It seems it became a real fine survey of different photographic views on the city. The new FENSTER61 blog wants to keep you update about acitivities of photographers who showed their work at FENSTER61. Feel free to add it to your blogrolls.
The Genius of Photography
A BBC documentary about the history of photography and its genres like reportage, street photography, portraiture and finally its invasion to the art world. Six episodes, each about one hour. I think there’s no better conclusion of the subject matter with a more prominent list of protagonists so far. Subtitles in English only. Produced in 2007.The whole work is online on youtube, the DVD is available at British amazon and elsewhere.
Zeitgenössische Fotografie in Amerika
Michael Engler’s documentary was originally produced for German television in 1982. Features conversations with photographers like Garry Winogrand, Lisette Model, Robert Frank, Stephen Shore, Duane Michals, Joel Meyerowitz and more. 52 min. German only, no subtitles. Available directly from the author.
Contacts
A series from TV station arte, originally initiated by William Klein. Photographers talking about their contact sheets. At least some of the photographers talking about their contact sheets. The more popular and the more „arty“ they get the less they show contacts but talk about their work in general. Highlights (in my opinion) are Josef Koudelka, Elliott Erwitt, William Klein, Raymond Depardon which are all on the first DVD of the 3 DVD pack. Subtitles in English and French (on my copy at least – there should be an „international“ version out by now and the three DVDs are available separately in some countries).
Radfahrer
An absolutely outstanding documentary about German photographer Harald Hauswald by filmmaker Marc Thümmler that shows his photographs from the former GdR in the 80s along with readings of Stasi transcripts about him. And – that’s it. Nothing but still photographs and those off-text-readings of the Secret Service reports of the GdR. Works perfect. Disturbing and funny at the same time. The DVD also contains half an hour interview footage with Hauswald. Running time of both, film and interview is about one hour. The DVD ist available for € 7 only at the Bundesamt für Politische Bildung. Subtitles in English, Spanish, French and German.
Somewhere to disappear
Still not released as a DVD but I saw the movie at the cinema. A stunning roadtrip with Alec Soth producing his Broken Manual poject. I’m not shure what impresses me more – the photographer or his protagonists. Website of the film is here.
Please free to add your recommendations below.
FENSTER61 is having a break. No planning in the summer => no exhibitions in the autumn. As simple as that. FENSTER61 will be back with monthly changing photo exhibitions in January 2012. Expected to be among the next photographers are Wenke Seemann, Thorsten Strasas and Torsten Schumann. Submissions are always welcome as long as they fit to the concept.
For those who missed the show in Berlin:
Kickoff for the weekend – two promising openings in Berlin I won’t miss tonight:
Charlie Jouvet at Pavlov’s Dog and
Ute & Werner Mahler at Dittrich & Schlechtriem (former pool gallery)
Four more opening days, then the Fascination Street exhibition in Berlin will be closed. This Sunday at 7pm we’ll be having a public finissage. Everybody’s invited to come along (again) and have a drink with us. Siegfried Hansen, Thorsten Strasas, Guido Steenkamp, me, and maybe some more exhibiting photographers will be present. Eventpage on facebook.
Btw: meanwhile my ALEX book was sold out at the gallery. They now have more copies – and it’s still possible to order it online – signed or unsigned.
Seconds2Real launched an album of pictures from the Fascination Street vernissage and the first 2 days over on facebook.
The opening of Seconds2Real’s first group show last friday was a stunning and funny night with lots of good conversations + very different people. I was happy to see a lot of old friends as well as a lot of people whom I didn’t know but who knew me. The exhibiton is open until October 30th.
Kickstart for the weekend – join the opening party of Seconds2Real’s group exhibition Fascination Street this Friday, 14th, from 7pm til late. Nine members of Seconds2Real – including me – are showing about 100 prints at MEINBLAU Kunsthaus in Berlin. There are Gallery Talks and Tours on the weekend also. Check Seconds2Real’s website for all details.
There’s a weekly interview series with members of Seconds2Real street photography collective in celebration of the forthcoming exhibition in Berlin on Sara T’Rula’s blog. The following interviews have been published so far: Elisabeth Schuh, Thorsten Strasas, Andreas Stelter, Mario Cuic and – today – me. Check all interviews here.
„Wenn ich an einer Bushaltestelle einen Mann fotografiere, der auf den Bus wartet, muss auf dem Foto mehr zu sehen sein als ein Mann, der auf einen Bus wartet.“ (When I take a pictures of a man waiting at a bus station there has to be more on the picture than a man waiting at a bus station)
So sad to hear that Arno Fischer died yesterday.
(Photo: Andreas Rost)
Very Berlin, very factual, very architecture – there are two exhibitions by Jörg Schmiedekind in Berlin at the time. One at galerie en passant, the other one a view blocks further at FENSTER61.
Started my Google+ account last week. I don’t know if I will use it a lot but if you like to add me to your circles please feel free to find me here.