Friedrichshain photo gallery
The Friedrichshain photo gallery is the oldest municipal photo gallery in Berlin . When it was founded in 1985, it was the first gallery in the GDR that was exclusively dedicated to the medium of photography . It is still located today at Helsingforser Platz 1 in Berlin-Friedrichshain , not far from the Warschauer Straße S-Bahn station , and has been operated by the Kulturring in Berlin eV since 2002. The focus is on social documentary, committed photography.
history
1981–1984 (planning phase)
A few years before the opening, there were concrete plans for a photo gallery in the former GDR. After completing their studies, the Berlin art historians Ralf Herzig, who works as a freelance photographer, and Ulrich Domröse, who currently heads the photo collection of the Berlinische Galerie , decided to give the artistic aspect of photography a permanent exhibition space. It was not just lengthy negotiations, but several years of conceptual work on artistic content, architecture and the design of the premises that preceded the foundation. By resolution of the Berlin (East) magistrate , the Friedrichshain district, Culture Department, gave its approval to operate the planned district gallery (new building) as a photo gallery.
1985-1989
On August 28, 1985, the gallery on Helsingforser Platz was opened with an exhibition of post-war photographs by Richard Peter . Ralf Herzig was no longer there because he was classified as politically insecure and therefore did not get a full job. Ulrich Domröse also broke off contact with the gallery after the first four exhibitions he had designed because of differences in content. Nevertheless, the photo gallery with its more than 200 m² of exhibition space and the adjoining café was very popular right from the start - up to 50,000 visitors per year attest to its importance at the time. The early success is mainly due to the photographers themselves, who committed themselves to the photo gallery. Roger Melis , Peter Leske and the publicist Wolfgang Kil were particularly active on the gallery's advisory board .
1990-2002
In the early 1990s, with the opening of the borders, an increasing number of West German and international audiences and photographers streamed into the gallery, and greats such as Sebastião Salgado and Gordon Parks exhibited. The turning point in its further course led to considerable financial difficulties in the Friedrichshain district and thus also in the gallery. The attempt to compensate for the loss of municipal funds by founding a support association in 1993 was only partially successful. Nevertheless, it was possible to guarantee the opening at all times and to maintain the quality of the exhibitions. When the friends' association dissolved in 1999, it threatened to end in view of the strong growth in cultural offerings in Berlin and further municipal savings.
2002 until today
After offers from photographers and photo enthusiasts to continue the facility on their own failed, in 2001 the district entered into a cooperation with the Kulturring in Berlin eV to maintain the photo gallery. One year later, the association took over sole sponsorship and has upheld the tradition and charitable spirit of the Friedrichshain Photo Gallery to this day. Solo exhibitions by established photographers alternate with talented young photographers and group exhibitions on specific topics.
In August 2015, the Friedrichshain Photo Gallery celebrated its 30th anniversary with a great review of its work so far. In addition to numerous photographers who have significantly shaped the gallery and photography, co-founder Ralf Herzig also officially returned to the gallery for the first time.
Artist (selection)
Publications
- Photo gallery Friedrichshain - stories, pictures, exhibitions , Kulturring in Berlin eV, 2010; ISBN 978-3-9812995-7-1
Footnotes and individual references
- ↑ Looking into the city's soul Tagesspiegel from August 12, 2015. Retrieved on August 27, 2015
- ^ Exhibition in Stendal; Pictures from a Russian military prison
- ^ Photo collection of the Berlinische Galerie
- ↑ Anniversary catalog of the photo gallery
- ↑ 30 years of history at one click BZ from August 5, 2015
- ↑ Retrospective, looking into the city's soul Tagesspiegel from August 12, 2015
- ↑ Peter Leske retrospective Tagesspiegel from July 13, 2007 with photo series
- ↑ Article by Michael Nungesser on 25 years of photo gallery at www.kulturring.org
- ↑ 30 years of the Friedrichshain Photo Gallery , Berliner Zeitung of July 31, 2015
Web links
- The Friedrichshain photo gallery at the Kulturring