image: Diane Meyer / graphic design: Claire Ducresson-Boët & Stefan Hansch

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

Images: © Lisa Martini