As the misty light of Berlin filters through the high windows of the Gropius Bau, we witness a unique temporal dialogue questioning the boundaries of photography and the fragility of memory. Opened on March 19, “Persistence of Vision” invites two artistic visions that might initially seem disparate—Peter Hujar and Liz Deschenes—to breathe within the same space. This exhibition is more than just two artists sharing the same walls; it is a confrontation between the ghosts of the past and the abstract reflections of the present—a whisper so intimate it almost defies words.
When you look at Peter Hujar’s black-and-white frames, you feel the heartbeat of an era directly in your veins. During the turbulent New York years—stretching from the courageous days of resistance following the 1969 Stonewall riots to the devastating AIDS crisis of the 1980s—Hujar used his camera as an instrument of compassion rather than a mere recording device. From the porcelain fragility of Candy Darling to the piercing gaze of Susan Sontag; from the untouchable melancholy of David Wojnarowicz to abandoned urban ruins and silent animals, everything gains an equal, non-judgmental, and honest weight through his lens. These photographs stand tall before us like a silent lament for a lost generation—stormy souls forced into silence far too soon.
Right in the midst of this intense, breathtaking sorrow, Liz Deschenes’ contemporary interventions step in, offering the viewer a sanctuary to set down their burden. Rather than responding to Hujar’s sharp reality with concrete imagery, Deschenes retreats into the purest, most fundamental building blocks of photography: light, chemistry, and time. Her non-representational, sculptural photographic works function as cool, bright clearings along the exhibition route. Our spirits, shaken by the weight of Hujar’s portraits, slow down and pause within the gaps Deschenes constructs with emptiness, gaining the time needed to digest the naked humanity just witnessed.
Curator Eva Respini’s choice to pair these two masters poses a much broader and more inclusive question about what photography actually is. On one side is the jarring clarity of Hujar, who freezes the moment with his gaze and bestows immortality upon his losses; on the other is the silent radicalism of Deschenes, who rejects the image to turn photography into a mere physical residue of time and light. While one shows us “who we are,” the other makes us question “how we see.” This silent intergenerational conversation proves how powerful photography can be—not just for imprisoning the past, but for reshaping the present and our own perception.
Echoing within the historic fabric of the Gropius Bau until June 28, 2026, this encounter is a tribute to the uncompromising ways of seeing held by both artists. True to its name, Persistence of Vision forces us to look, to understand, and to feel with persistence. As you step out of the hall and merge into the cool air of Niederkirchnerstraße, the faces of Hujar’s lost friends and the fleeting reflection of yourself caught in Deschenes’ surfaces intertwine in your mind. The only reality left behind is the fragile story of existence told to us by light and shadow.
Exhibition Details:
- Venue: Gropius Bau, Berlin
- Artists: Peter Hujar & Liz Deschenes
- Curator: Eva Respini
- Dates: March 19 – June 28, 2026
- Theme: Intergenerational dialogue through light, time, and human presence.
