Sibylle Bergemann. Photographs

This exhibition presents the work of one of the leading contemporary German photographers to international audiences. The photographs of Sibylle Bergemann are astonishingly diverse, covering subjects such as fashion, reportage, photographic essays, urban and rural landscapes and portraits. This great variety is also an expression of the artist’s unmistakeable style. The social context was always a key factor in Bergemann’s work. Her pictures express a critical analysis of reality during the times of the GDR. Photography is not mere depiction but rather a medium that sheds light on reality, always interpreting and taking a stand. These photos become symbols, present stories, and play with the longing of the observer.

Sibylle Bergemann (1941–2010) first made a name as a fashion photographer. She was also an outstanding creator of photographic essays and a very precise observer. She also worked with series of photos and kept photographic notes and diaries over long periods of time. Fashion photos and portraits are one focus of her work – often made for SIBYLLE or GEO. In the late 1960s, she began to explore situations and scenes in the
city of Berlin, and later worked in New York, Paris, Tokyo and São Paulo. For many years she worked with Polaroids and up to 1990 almost always in black and white. She was one of only few photographers who used color as a constitutive element of her works, rather than just a form of illustration. After the reunification of Germany, Bergemann co-founded the OSTKREUZ agency and became a member of the Academy of Arts.