More than one in four adults suffer from a mental disorder during their lifetime. For the almost 18 million people in Germany who are acutely affected and their social environment, they are associated with massive restrictions in their social and professional life. Although mental illness directly affects a large part of the population, they are still subject to strong taboo and stigma. About the life with depression, anxiety disorders and mental illnesses in their different forms there are unclear ideas. Changing diagnoses and individual illnesses unsettle outsiders. Thus, it hardly succeeds to get close to those affected in their world.

The exhibition CRAZY – Living with mental illness at f³ – freiraum für fotografie presents works by five internationally renowned photographers. They have dealt with the topic for very personal reasons.

Spanish photographer Laia Abril tells the story of the Robinson family in her internationally acclaimed series The Epilogue. The Robinsons lost their youngest daughter due to bulimia. In Gärtners Reise (Gärtner’s journey), the Berlin based OSTKREUZ photographer Sibylle Fendt documents the last journey of the couple Lothar and Elke Gärtner. Two years before the journey, Elke Gärtner had been diagnosed with dementia. The photographer Nora Klein from Erfurt tried together with people affected by the disease to translate depression in pictures. Her first illustrated book Mal gut, mehr schlecht (Sometimes well, mostly bad) has been published by Hatje Cantz Verlag. The Brit Louis Quail shows in his intimate photographic approach Big Brother his brother’s life with schizophrenia. New York-based photographer Melissa Spitz dedicates her work You Have Nothing to Worry About to the emotional life of her seriously mentally ill mother.

With kind support of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Psychosomatik und Nervenheilkunde e. V. (DGPPN; German Association for Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics).

Opening: 14 February 2019, 7 pm
Greetings:
Prof. Dr. med. Arno Deister, Past President of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Psychosomatik und Nervenheilkunde e. V. (DGPPN; German Association for Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics).
Introduction:
Katharina Mouratidi, artistic director f³ – freiraum für fotografie, in conversation with the photographers Nora Klein and Louis Quail.

The greetings will be held in German language, the introduction will be held in German and English.

Framework program

FOTO FÜHRUNG
Sunday, 11 am, on March 3 & April 7;
Free admission. Held in German.

FOTO JAM
Ohren auf hier kommen Bilder!
Wednesday, March 6, 7 pm; Free admission. Held in German.

FOTO TALK: AUF DER COUCH
Wednesday, March 20, 7 pm; Admission: 5/3 €.
In discussion with Ute Mahler, founding member of OSTKREUZ agency, Sibylle Fendt gives insights into her work and her new projects. The talk will be held in German.

Editor’s note:
This exhibition is featured on the cover of the PiB Guide Nº23 MAR/APR 2019, PiB’s bi-monthly print issue!

Feb 15 — April 21, 2019
Opening Reception: Thursday, Feb 14, 7 pm
Framework program: please see above

f³ – freiraum für fotografie

Waldemarstraße 17, 10179 Berlin
[Mitte | Mitte]

Opening hours: Wed – Sun 1 – 7 pm. Special opening for groups upon request.

Admission: 5 € / reduced 3 €