“Photography’s power lies in its ability to tell stories and function as a kind of universal second language,” says Maren Lübbke-Tidow, artistic director of EMOP Berlin. “It’s why it remains the most important visual medium of our time.”
Now in its 11th edition, EMOP offers a critical overview of the city’s and Europe’s contemporary photography scenes. The festival aims to both celebrate and interrogate a medium that “we are continuously redefining our relationship to”, as photographer and EMOP Berlin jury member Akinbode Akinbiyi puts it.
This year’s leitmotif, ‘what stands between us’, examines our divided society. The central exhibition at the Akademie der Künste “considers photography as a medium of chronicle, questioning how we document and engage with contemporary conflicts through photography”, Lübbke-Tidow explains. EMOP concerns itself with critical issues such as the climate crisis, urban development and oppressive regimes, but the Russian-Ukrainian war and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East cast a significant shadow over the festival.
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“We cannot ignore what’s happening,” Lübbke-Tidow says, “but from the outset, we decided to focus on artistic works which deal with the present in a critical and reflective way and ask more questions than provide answers. In the central exhibition, for instance, you won’t find protest images. I don’t want to curate a show where you simply say, ‘Yes, that’s how I see it too.’”
The festival takes place at 103 venues across Berlin, including both major institutions, like the Akademie der Künste, Hamburger Bahnhof and C/O Berlin, and smaller project spaces. Among them is Herspective, a group of professional female photographers exhibiting at CANK – the former C&A on Karl-Marx-Straße. “Many of the applications focused on feminist critique and resistance,” says Lübbke-Tidow, “and one of the highlights for me is the wonderful German artist Annette Frick at Chert Lüdde Gallery.”
Another key focus of EMOP is experimental photography and photography-based processes. These range from exploring disappearing analogue techniques to embracing cutting-edge technologies. “Hamburger Bahnhof will host the first German museum solo exhibition of South Korean artist Ayoung Kim, who works with artificial intelligence,” Lübbke-Tidow teases.
In addition to tours, artist talks and panels, this year’s edition continues its commitment to emerging photographers with a large exhibition showcasing works from the Ostkreuzschule, Lette Verein and Fachhochschule Potsdam, among others. “Photography is deeply connected to the world around us,” Lübbke-Tidow concludes, “and we are committed to giving visibility to young photographers, to give a real overview of what is happening in Berlin and around Europe.”
- EMOP, Akademie der Künste and other venues across Berlin, March 1 – 31, details.
