
PORTRAITS WITHOUT BORDERS
What makes a photograph a portrait? In today’s world, portrait photography is everywhere — a powerful tool for shaping and reshaping both individual and collective identities. Since the mid-19th century, photographers have continually redefined the genre, expanding its boundaries in ways that make the very definition of a photographic portrait increasingly complex.
“Portraits without Borders” brings together 29 artists from Europe, Asia, the Middle East, South America, and North America — most selected from over 260 submissions to FOTOGALERIE’s fall open call. For many, this marks their first time exhibiting in Berlin.
This group exhibition delves into the ever-evolving landscape of contemporary portrait photography, exploring its boundaries through diverse themes and techniques. From self-portraits to documentary work, studio photography to photomontage, collage to embroidery — the show offers a rich, multifaceted exploration of a genre often taken for granted.
In the wake of months of social distancing, returning to portraiture is also an invitation to reconnect — with each other and with the complex relationship between the individual and society, a connection made all the more visible by the pandemic.
December 10, 2021 – February 4, 2022
Fotogalerie Friedrichshain
Helsingforser Platz 1, 10243 Berlin
With works by
Aljohara • Carl Corey • Carmen Triana • Christian Reister • Christoph Schieder • Diane Meyer • Etienne Lafrance • Eun Sun Cho • Gorsad Kyiv • Hadi Dehghanpour • Hugh Kretschmer • HUMA • Iness Rychlik • Jesper Boot • Koschies • Lilia Li-Mi-Yan • Lisa Martini • Lois Bielefeld • Michael Fung • Milo Sladakovic • Nancy Oliveri • Pauline Le Pichon • Phanuphan Kitsawaeng • Red Rubber Road • R. J. Kern • Rossana Battisti • Sana Ahmadizadeh • Sooh Lee • Valeria Secchi











Images: © Lisa Martini