Passed away last November 2010, Sibylle Bergemann is one of the most important photographers in Germany. In memory of the artist, the C/O in Berlin presents for the first time 140 Polaroids, gathering a view over the ensemble of her work. These photographs, taken over the years in parallel with other features for numerous magazines, depict the most diverse subjects: faces of girls in an ancient style, a tower, flowers or a table by the seashore, elements and protagonists of the photographer’s everyday life over the decades.

“I press the trigger to see what I’ve seen”, said Bergemann on her experience with the SX-70, which she began to use already in the 1970’s, first to make tests on her fashion features. Her photographs are both blurred and real, ancient and contemporary: images that take advantage of their status of unique pieces to become more real, as an aide-mémoire of the real life.

Sibylle Bergemann was born in 1941 in Berlin. Since 1967, she has been an independent photographer and member of the group Direkt. In 1974 her first solo show took place in the Haus der Jungen Talente in Berlin and, after the reunification, she founded with other colleagues the photo agency Ostkreuz. She was also member of the Berlin Akademie der Künste since 1984 and was also a teacher at the l’Ostrkreuzschule für Fotografie und Gestaltung. Over her professional life she collaborated with numerous press reviews such as Sibylle, Stern, Spiegel and Geo.

Sebastián Messina

Sibylle Bergemann – Polaroids
July 2nd – September 4th , 2011
C/O Berlin
Oranienburger Straße 35/36
10117 Berlin

On the occasion of the present show, Hatje Cantz editions has published the book Sibylle Bergemann – Polaroids ; 200 pages, English / German, 150 color images. ISBN 978-3-7757-2843-0