In an era of perfected digital filters and over-processed images, stumbling upon truth in its raw, intimate, humorous, and unfiltered state feels like a breath of fresh air. Legendary and rule-breaking icon of the photography world, Juergen Teller, throws this exact raw reality into our faces with his brand-new exhibition in Berlin.
Welcoming visitors since June 27 and preparing to close its doors on August 29, 2026, “Guten Morgen Sonnenschein” serves as a monumental, joyful, and bold love letter dedicated to Teller’s passionate partnership of over eight years with his wife and creative collaborator, Dovile Drizyte. Visiting this exhibition with only a short time left before its end, it once again dissolves the boundaries between life and art.
From Morning Rituals to Love Letters
Giving the exhibition its title, the Guten Morgen Sonnenschein diptych photography series begins with Teller’s ritual of brewing filter coffee every morning. On one side stands a warm cup of coffee, and on the other are the everyday details surrounding Teller at that exact moment: a book lying on the table, an artwork, a colorful drawing made by his young daughter Iggy, or the most natural shot of his wife Drizyte sleeping soundly in bed… Teller brilliantly succeeds in turning the ordinary moments of daily life into a monumental romance.
From Plato’s Symposium to the Streets of Venice: The Union of Bodies
Prominent series featured in the exhibition lay bare the intertwined nature of the couple’s marriage and professional partnership:
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Symposium of Love (2025): Referencing Aristophanes’ speech in Plato’s Symposium, this series focuses on Teller and Drizyte’s nude bodies rolling down sand dunes. As the photographs progress, the two bodies almost morph into a single mythological creature, merging with the rhythm of nature alongside forests, sunsets, and taxidermy animal figures.
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Sono Qui (2026): Shot in Venice for Harper’s Bazaar Italia, this series brings together Drizyte’s nude studies with views of Venice away from tourist crowds. The selection is completed with the portrait of the late Pope Francis, commissioned two years ago by the Vatican to be taken at the Giudecca Women’s Prison, eradicating the boundaries between commercial work and personal archives.
Democratic Portraits and a Playful Family Archive
That famous “democratic” and intuitive approach through Teller’s lens shines in this exhibition as well. German actors Sandra Hüller and Lars Eidinger, philosopher Slavoj Žižek, legendary musician Iggy Pop, artist Danh Võ, writer Constance Debré, and footballer Michael Olise… No matter who they are, Teller manages to capture everyone from the same intimate, unfiltered, and equal distance.
The most joyful section of the exhibition is the family archive with their daughter, Iggy. Beyond shots taken since their daughter’s birth, witnessing little Iggy humorously re-enacting her father’s iconic fashion photographs in the series Iggy Teller does Teller (2023) is truly priceless. Meanwhile, the video Men (2023) shot with actor Alexander Skarsgård opens up a quieter, deeper space for contemplation on military backgrounds and father-son relationships.
