Portraits of Now

Magnum Photomaton

Elliott Erwitt, Bruce Gilden, Philippe Halsmann, Steve McCurry, Martin Parr, Paolo Pellegrin

Biometric, practical, and good. More than anything, however, photo automats are technologically stoic. At one point or another, everyone has sat in one of these sober booths with a curtain and revolving stool, coin slot, blinding flash, and photo chute. Photo automats are special aggregates of authorless photography in which the portrayed person is both actor and subject. In their stability and functionality, they are the diametric opposite of the narrative, individual photography the legendary agency Magnum stands for. And yet, these two photographical principles fit exceptionally well together.
For the first time worldwide, C/O Berlin presents six specially constructed photo automats that photograph exhibition visitors in the style of Elliott Erwitt, Martin Parr, Paolo Pellegrin, Bruce Gilden, and others. What a paradox – machines that perfectly simulate the individual approach of renowned Magnum photographers! Who, actually, is the author in this game? And best of all, visitors can take their originalMagnum portrait home in the form of a print or can send it over the Internet as a digital file.