To mark its 25th anniversary, C/O Berlin presents Documentary in Flux | Revisiting the C/O Berlin Talent Award, an exhibition running until September 16, 2025, spotlighting nearly two decades of its Talent Award program. Since its founding in 2000, the museum has been dedicated to supporting emerging talent and providing a platform for artistic and theoretical discourse in photography. The award, ongoing since 2006, holds a unique place by recognizing “tandems” of artists and theorists.
The Evolution of the Award and the Exhibition’s Structure
Initially based on open applications, the award’s concept evolved into a nomination process involving international experts. Since 2020, its central theme has been “New Documentary Strategies.” The exhibition recontextualizes works by 14 award-winning artists, organized not chronologically but into four thematic sections that explore diverse ways of conceptualizing documentary work. Contributions from past theory winners are also featured.
Highlighted Artists and Works
- Traditional Genres
This section examines traditional documentary photography genres (reportage, landscape, portrait). Friederike Brandenburg captures traces of human presence in Norway’s nature; Sibylle Fendt portrays individuals with pathological hoarding disorders; and Janina Wick documents the fragile transition between childhood and adulthood. - Documentary Aesthetics and Fiction
This section questions linearity and aesthetics in documentary narratives. It begins with works by Tobias Zielony and Pepa Hristova, followed by Florian van Roekel’s dreamlike series photographing office workers. Karolina Wojtas stands out with a collage-like work critiquing Poland’s authoritarian school system, while Emanuel Mathias reworks found archival footage. - Expanding Mediums
The third section focuses on moving images and spatial installations. Sylvain Couzinet-Jacques presents a 12-hour video of Madrid’s youth; Anna Ehrenstein offers futuristic visuals questioning global power dynamics; Adji Dieye reworks archival images on silk to dismantle colonial narratives; and Sasha Kurmaz blends public space practices with activist elements. - Looking to the Future
The final section reexamines documentary photography’s claim to truth amid the rise of digital imagery, AI, and fake news. Willem Popelier overlays excerpts from former U.S. President Barack Obama’s speeches to explore staged political communication. Ivonne Thein addresses the “Pro-Ana” movement’s unhealthy pursuit of thinness through digitally manipulated images, also presenting a new installation featuring AI-generated deformed hands.
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This exhibition offers a unique opportunity to explore the dynamic nature and evolving approaches of documentary photography. It will also be on view at the Alexander Tutsek Foundation’s BlackBox in Munich in the summer of 2026.
