Berlin's photography museum: Experience Newtons fascinating polaroids!

Berlin's photography museum: Experience Newtons fascinating polaroids!

Berlin, Deutschland - In the heart of Berlin, the Museum of Photography numerous photography-enthusiasts. Since its opening in 2004, the neoclassical building, which originally served as an officer casino, has become an important cultural contact point. The photography collection of the art library and the Helmut Newton Foundation are housed here. The latter was founded in 2003 by Helmut Newton, one of the best -known fashion photographers of the 20th century. Newton returned in 2003, 65 years after his escape from Berlin, and left an important legacy.

The collection of the art library is considered one of the most important in Germany and includes works over 150 years of photo history, including historical daguerreotypes and pioneering work by Karl Blossfeldt as well as modern advertising and industrial photography. On the lower floors of the museum, visitors can visit the permanent exhibition "Helmut Newton’s Private Property", which shows Newton's personal collections of photographs, art and even his cameras.

special exhibitions in focus

The currently ongoing group exhibition "Polaroids", which can be seen from March 7 to July 27, 2025, should be particularly highlighted. This exhibition not only shows Helmut Newton's polaroids, but also significant work by photographers such as Robert Maplethorpe and Mary Ellen Mark. Polaroids, which Newton used intensively in the 1970s, served him as conceptual sketches for checking light and composition during fashion shoots. The selection of the works illustrates the objectivity and creativity associated with this technique, such as berlin.de reported.

The exhibition combines various techniques of polaroid work and the variety of international photographers. Each artist is represented by a selection of his work, which comes to the fore the experimental use of this format. In addition, the exhibition is presented by the Helmut Newton Foundation in the Museum of Photography.

The view of female perspectives

As part of the "Museum Check", actress Anneke Kim Sarnau, known from "Police Call 110", plays a special role. She talks about dominant clichés in photography and emphasizes how important it is that more women tell their stories and become visible. Sarnau, who began her career at the Vienna Burgtheater in 1998, advocates a stronger visibility of women in photography and art as a whole.

The cultural diversity is also discussed in the current special exhibition "A World in Common. Contemporary African Photography" in the C/O Berlin. The foundation organization, which was founded in 2000 and celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2025, shows works by 22 artists who represent the rich and diverse forms of expression of Africa away from common stereotypes.

In this cultural framework, it becomes clear how photography is not only art, but also gives a voice as a medium of fleading cultures and perspectives. The Museum of Photography and C/O Berlin prove that photographs as social and cultural documentation are invaluable, which the current Discussion over the role of photography.