In her artistic work with the medium of photography and film, Ute Behrend (born 1961) displays, both atmospherically and aesthetically, a subtle sense for poetic and formal contexts in exploring her own narrative worlds as autonomous visual worlds and individual commentaries on social and socio-cultural contexts. Following a visual concept in which usually two images from different contexts, real or staged, are narratively and formally assigned to each other, the images create references to themes relating to the identity of children and adolescents, questioning role models and repeatedly also our relationship to nature. An important component of Ute Behrend’s work is always the photo book. In 2020, she received the Julia Margaret Cameron Award for her book on the work group Bärenmädchen.

In dialogue with Ute Behrend’s work, the exhibition will feature a work by Julia Margaret Cameron (1815-1879) and works by Käthe Buchler (1876-1930) from the museum’s historical collection. Poetic stagings are also aspects of the photographic work by these artists. Fairy tales as children’s theatre plays, for example, were among the visual subjects that Käthe Buchler also captured and commented on in a special album from the early 20th century. The original book with vintage photographs was donated to the Braunschweig Museum of Photography in 2019 to supplement the collection and estate of Käthe Buchler. The book and photographs by Käthe Buchler will be presented in the exhibition.

Furthermore, in the context of the exhibition theme, Zirkus Hein, an early group of works by the photographer Ute Mahler (born 1949) will also be on display. Capturing special visual moments from everyday life in the circus run by a family and performing in the former GDR, the series was created in 1973-74. For the first time in about forty years, the artist has re-visited this group of works for the exhibition and, on the basis of the original photographic material, has also made new prints of previously unseen photos, as well as variations of specific motifs.

Special editions of Ute Behrend’s work group Back to Nature and Ute Mahler’s work group Zirkus Hein will be published on the occasion of the exhibition.

Framework program

July 1 + Aug 5, 2021, 1 – 8 pm
Happy Thursday
Free admission & guided tour (held in German) at 6 pm.

June 22 + July 13 + Aug 10, 2021, 6:30 pm
Jour Fixe | Event Series
An offer for members of the museum and interested visitors.

Aug 21, 2021, 3 – 5 pm
Photography Workshop
(Workshop (held in German) for Kids & Teens, led by the artist Ute Behrend.

Aug 22, 2021, 4 pm
Finissage & Artist Talk with Ute Behrend.

View all framework events on the MfPH website.

June 12 — Aug 22, 2021
Opening Reception: Friday, June 11, 1 – 9 pm,
Introduction/Greetings at 7 pm
+ Framework program: please see above

Museum für Photographie Braunschweig

Helmstedter Straße 1 · 38102 Braunschweig

Opening hours: Tue – Fri 1 – 6 pm, Sat & Sun 11 am – 6 pm

Admission: 3,50 € / reduced 2,00 €. Free admission every first Thursday of the month.