calendario eventi  :: 

X

5/5/2011

Hommage a Berlin

Collection regard, Berlin

curated by Antonio Panetta

The Berlin collection Collection Regard quietly unleashes the work of Hein Gorny (1904 – 1967) and Adolph C. Byers (1913 - 1974) in a long overdue tribute to the photographers' groundbreaking pictorial excursion through the rubble of post WW ll Berlin. Hommage à Berlin entitles both the exhibit and the publication made available to the public this May - 65 years after the inception of "In Memoriam"; the never realized book project on Gorny and Byers' work.

In 1945, the German photographer Hein Gorny collaborated with the American Adolph C. Byers on an adventurous and, for the period, nearly unimaginable photographic excursion that resulted in unique aerial photographs documenting the city of Berlin and it's destruction in the aftermath of the war.

With an imagistic sensibility rooted in the New Objectivity - in which Gorny had already distinguished himself through much-publicized animal and advertising photographs - as well as dramatic contrasts of light and dark, the ruins of formerly imposing structures are impressively sketched. The traditional repertoire of Berlin pictures such as the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag, the Gendarmenmarkt and the Alexanderplatz are brought into focus. Gorny, however, also sought out less well- known structures - such as the Kaiserhof, the Ahmadiyya Mosque in Berlin- Wilmersdorf and the Gasometer near Victoria Luise Platz.

The aerial photographs are augmented with photographs taken by Gorny and Byers on the ground. With further photographs from animal photographer Friedrich Seidenstücker - considered one of the pioneers of the unpretentious Street Photography, Gorny and Byers created a distinctive, powerful and sensitive collection of post war testimonials.

All 80 silver gelatin photographs are part of Marc Barbey's Collection Regard. Barbey, a Frenchman, has been augmenting his collection since 2005 and it now ranges from the earliest beginnings of photography to the 1970's. Collection Regard is entrusted with the administration of Hein Gorny's estate and besides Gorny's extensive oeuvre, Barbey's collection also includes work by Lotte Jacobi, Heinrich Riebesehl, Siegfried Lauterwasser and Robert Capa (among others).

Barbey continues to refine and expand his photographic repertoire with the help of artistic director Antonia Panetta, placing an emphasis on "Berlin" and German photography in general. The collection is located in the center of Berlin and aims to present various themed exhibits as well as serve as a hub for international dialogue and provide the opportunity for an in-depth analysis of photography.

On the occasion of the exhibition, the trilingual (German, English and French) publication Hommage à Berlin – Photographien 1945/1946 – Hein Gorny, Adolph C. Byers and Friedrich Seidenstücker will be published; a book by the Collection Regard from Marc Barbey with a commentary by Dr. Enno Kaufhold; hardcover (160 pages); Editor: Collection Regard, Marc Barbey; Price: 49,90 EUR; ISBN: 978-3-00-033886-1

Press: artpress - Ute Weingarten
Elisabethkirchstr. 15
10115 Berlin
Phone: +49 (0)30 21 96 18 43
Fax: +49 (0)30 21 96 18 47
Email: artpress@uteweingarten.de
Web: www.artpress-uteweingarten.de

Image: Adolph C. Byers, Hein Gorny
Brandenburger Tor, Berlin 1945 - 1946
Silbergelatineabzug/gelatin silver print 9,1 x 11,7 cm
© Hein Gorny / A.C. Byers - Collection Regard

Exhibition opening: Friday, May 6th, 2011; 5-9pm

Collection regard | Marc Barbey
Steinstr. 12, 10115 Berlin
Opening Hours: Fridays, 2 – 6 pm and by appointment
free admission

stampa

permanent link