Our life has changed fundamentally since the beginning of 2020. The self-evident has become unattainable, social interaction is severely restricted and the digitalization of everyday life has continued to prevail. Only nature seems unimpressed by all of this. But it faces other threats. At the same time, parks and recreational areas have never been so crowded. As if nature had become a place of refuge where we can still maintain some “normality”. Has this also increased our appreciation for nature?

The Galerie Amalienpark is now showing the four photographers’ first joint exhibition. They all deal with the places and phenomena of the nature immediately surrounding them in the city and in rural areas and thus delimit their perspective thematically as well as geographically. In their works, a subtle dialogue between nature and the photographers becomes visible, which reflects the shaping of nature by humans and questions it as a cultural construct.

First about the locations: Ursula Böhmer dedicates herself to a vinegar tree in the series Torso, which developed its own life against the inner-city backdrop of a house wall. Over the years, in the series Die Eiche (The Oak), Werner Mahler photographed an oak tree on the edge of his garden, behind which the Brandenburg forest begins. Ingar Krauss mainly researches the agricultural Oderbruch for various series. Lorenz Kienzle discovered an overgrown landscape park, the Gutspark Karwe (Karwe manor park) on the Ruppiner See in Brandenburg.

As different as the locations are, as differential is the approach and focus of the four photographers.

As in the Torso series, Ursula Böhmer is also interested in the essence of trees in other works and shows us the individual physicality of tree trunks, which are reminiscent of sculptures.

For years Werner Mahler was fascinated by the whole spectrum of appearance of The Oak, caused by different lighting moods at different times of the year and day, which he captured in color photographs.

Ingar Krauss repeatedly finds surprising, graphic and sculptural structures in gardens, on fields and in the forest, most of which are the result of human efforts to keep order. In contrast, there are pictures from his Mare Triticum series, which show eddies and waves in wheat fields that were formed by the exposure to wind and weather.

Lorenz Kienzle initially tries to discover structures in the overgrown manor park that could be reminiscent of a landscaped garden, and at the same time photographs the arbitrary chaos of wild plants and trees.

What all works have in common is the precise and persistent observation through which they were created. In this way they have also become narratives.
Ursula Böhmer’s vinegar tree is not granted a long life, which she shows relentlessly. Werner Mahler’s Oak seems to be inviolable, while the garden furniture at its feet is slowly deteriorating. Ingar Krauss tells of gardeners, farmers and hunters who mostly remain invisible themselves, and in his new series Quittentypologie (Quince Typology) of the individuality of every single fruit. Lorenz Kienzle shows how order can be brought into chaos and how the park can be accessed again in the course of its renovation.

The exhibition shows many facets of a subtle dialogue between nature and humans and invites you to take part in this dialogue.

All visitors must adhere to the current provisions of the SARS-CoV-2 Infection Protection Ordinance. The number of visitors is limited, please register in advance: +49 30 33 02 80 95 |

Framework program

Saturday, March 27, 2021, 2 – 8 pm
Soft Opening
We look forward to welcoming you and your friends to the exhibition opening. Please register in advance: +49 30 33 02 80 95 | .
With a Laudatio by Dr. Enno Kaufhold (photo historian, publicist, curator) at 5 pm. The laudatio will also be recorded as a video and can be listened to at www.amalienpark.de.

Thursday, April 22, 2021, 7 pm
Artist Talk (in German) | ONLINE
Dr. Christiane Stahl, Director of the Alfred Ehrhardt Foundation, moderates a conversation (in German) with the exhibiting photographers. The talk will be recorded & published online on the website of Galerie Amalienpark.

Saturday, May 22, 2021, from 4 pm
Finissage
Finissage with the participating artists in the gallery & garden.

March 30 — April 30 extended until May 22, 2021
Soft Opening: Saturday, March 27, 2 – 8 pm, registration required.
+ Framework program: please see above

Galerie Amalienpark

Breite Straße 23, 13187 Berlin
[District: Pankow | Borough: Pankow]

Opening hours: By appointment only: +49 30 33 02 80 95 | (during Tue – Fri 2 – 7 pm, Sat 12 – 5 pm)

Admission free