Lundi 09 Mai 2016 12:01:57 par Justine PHILIPPE dans Expositions

The exhibition is divided into different sections that occasionally overlap and blur into each other, showcasing not only the Collection’s main themes but also different approaches to photography in the 19th and 21st centuries. Topographical views and 19th century landscape and architectural photos breathe new life into pictures of Italy and the Orient, and early travel photographs challenge what is meant by "foreign" and "exotic" when seen from a contemporary perspective. An ethnographic study from Japan provides a particular treasure trove of delights. The hand colored photographs of Kimbei Kusakabe (1841-1932) include staged studio shots and scenes from Japanese working life that combine to form a distinctive pictorial universe.

Carefully selected portraits from the unique albums of royal librarian and tutor Dr. Ernst Becker (1826-1888) afford insights into the private life of the British court of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. The "Christine" cycle by Seiichi Furuya (born 1950) documents the ultimately tragic blows dealt by fate to a personal relationship, while "Encountering", a series of photographs by Munich photographer Zoltán Jókay (born 1960) captures everyday chance encounters.

Conceptual photography, in addition to portraiture, plays a key role in the 20th and 21st centuries series. Many of the works featured in the exhibition explore the question of space in its built, physical and social dimensions. The black-and-white images of Silke Grossmann (born 1951) examine different perceptions of space in relation to the human body; this year’s winner of the honorary cultural prize of the City of Munich, Herlinde Koelbl (born 1939), turns her lens on German living rooms and the social groups who live in them; the "2 One Child" series by Eva Bertram (born 1964) explores the complex role-playing carried out by her daughter as she grows up, while Edgar Leciejewski (born 1977) composes scenes featuring color photographs of #dead# birds that, at first glance, are reminiscent of illustrations in scientific books.

Last but not least, visitors are given an insight into conservation and restoration, activities that normally remain unseen. A video and a selection of objects serve to shed light on this facet of the museum’s work.

A brochure will be available to accompany the exhibition.