About us
European Month of Photography Berlin (MdF Berlin)
The European Month of Photography Berlin is the largest German festival for photography. Since 2004, it has been taking place every two years in Berlin, presenting a wide range of exhibitions and events on historic and contemporary photography. The festival is organized by Kulturprojekte Berlin GmbH in collaboration with museums, cultural institutions, galleries, embassies, project spaces, and photography schools in Berlin and Potsdam.
On the occasion of its 10th anniversary, the MdF Berlin has an impressive record to its name: 2 million visitors, 500 exhibitions by as many partner institutions, 30,000 photographic works shown, and 2,000 participating photographers.
Theme: “Upheavals and Utopias. The Other Europe”
Over the last hundred years, Europe as we know it has been in a state of continuous change. Over and over again, a series of caesurae including the two world wars, the global economic crisis of 1929, the founding of the two German states, and the peaceful revolution of 1989 have left their mark. What do we mean by Europe today, as opposed to the past?
War, freedom, exultation, protest, standstill, crisis, the discovery of new and old cultures, equal rights, tolerance, identity, intimacy, faith, sexuality, fashion, and the everyday are some of the aspects shaping public life in Europe that are brought to bear in the festival. Europe is frequently defined according to its borders. This poses a variety of questions concerning, for instance, the ways in which extreme or gradual changes and rejections are experienced; how utopias impact our idea of the future; what perspectives are currently emerging; and how the other and the foreign enrich our lives and culture. The 6th European Month of Photography Berlin embarks on a journey of discovery, responding to these questions with historical and contemporary exhibitions.
Eligibility Requirements
Museums, cultural institutions, and galleries from Berlin and Potsdam professionally involved with photography can take part in the MdF Berlin. Individual photographers are not eligible.
This year’s selection process is already complete. For your information, eligibility requirements for the 2014 application can be read here in full (only in german). The next MdF Berlin will take place in October of 2016.
Jury Statement
In early April, the jury of the 6th MdF Berlin, made up of Frank Wagner (curator of the European Month of Photography Berlin), Maren Lübbke-Tidow (author, critic, curator, Camera Austria, Graz/Berlin), Katia Reich (curator, Berlin), Christiane Stahl (director of the Alfred Ehrhardt Foundation, Berlin) and Hubertus von Amelunxen (author and curator, president of the European Graduate School, Switzerland, member of the Akademie der Künste, Berlin), viewed the 170 submitted proposals and made a highly promising selection:
“The large number and quality of the submissions was impressive. The theme of this year’s European Month of Photography Berlin—“Upheavals and Utopias—The Other Europe”—led to a wide array of highly diverse exhibition projects that explore the dimensions of space, time, tradition, and change in Berlin, Europe, and around the world. Great importance was placed on the themes “border” and “borderline experience.” What is particularly striking are the many exhibition concepts that focus on Central and Eastern Europe from a variety of perspectives, or present the refugee and immigration problem in a critical light. A number of different criteria played a role in the evaluation of individual projects and presentations: relevance in terms of content and theme; the historical ramifications of a respective theme; and the quality of artistic approach to the photography. The selection of participants in this year’s European Month of Photography Berlin reflects a diversity that is thematic, institutional, and conceptual. The formats range from large-scale outdoor exhibitions and major museum presentations through impressive and experimental solo and group exhibitions in galleries, project spaces, cultural offices, and embassies to participatory and collaborative projects and the creative participation of Berlin’s many photography schools. All in all, this gives rise to an overview of the last 100 years in art photography, as well as fresh insight into our new time, with all its nuances, problematic areas, and visions.”
Berlin and its European Partners
The MdF Berlin is a member of the European Month of Photography (EMoP), a European joint project that includes the photography festivals in Bratislava, Budapest, Ljubljana, Luxembourg, Paris, and Vienna. Back in 2003, on the initiative of Berlin’s partner city Paris, the idea was born to form a European network of photography festivals. After a cooperation between Berlin, Paris, and Vienna, the capitals Bratislava, Luxembourg, Moscow, and Rome followed in 2006. In 2012, the European photography network was expanded to include Budapest and Ljubljana; Athens joined this year.
The goal of the joint project is to foster cooperation on a European level, to strengthen the international photography scene, to intensify the exchange of information and experience, emphasize the interplay between teaching and learning, and support young artists.
The result of this collaboration, among other things, is a jointly conceived exhibition of contemporary photography, which is then shown in adapted form in each respective partner city of the EMoP network. In 2014, this exhibition is titled “MemoryLab: The Sentimental Turn.” In Berlin, it will be presented at Martin-Gropius-Bau from October 17 through December 15, 2014.
European Partner Cities and Their Festivals
Athens: en.photofestival.gr
Bratislava: www.sedf.sk
Budapest: www.fotohonap.hu
Ljubljana: www.photonicmoments.net
Luxembourg: www.cafecreme-art.lu
Paris: www.mep-fr.org
Vienna: www.eyes-on.at